Entei's Nightingale
by RussianSnowwolf
Summary: Kouen had never expected to find a woman that he truly wanted to be his forever. Kaho had never expected to harbor feelings for the scary and crude First Prince of the Kou Empire. Follow them as their story together unfolds. KouenXOC
1. Ch1: Entei's Dilemma

**Hello everyone! I said I would do a KouenxOC and here it is! I hope you all enjoy and please review, follow, favorite, whatever floats your boat.**

**Some of you may have noticed that I haven't updated any chapters for my other fanfictions. I have not dropped them, I'm simply very busy. I already had this written up so I decided, why not just upload it so everyone knows I'm not dead! Yay for being alive.**

**I don't own Magi or its characters. Also, this story takes place without any Gyokuen getting the throne nonsense. In fact, besides being incredibly two-faced, Gyokuen isn't that much of a threat in this fanfic.**

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Chapter 1: Entei's Dilemma

"Brother," Koumei's familiar tired voice called out. It echoed down the almost completely empty hall of the Palace: The Palace of Prince Kouen of the Kou Empire, future Emperor.

Kouen stopped and looked back at his younger brother quizzically. "What is it now?" His anger was barely masked in his words. He inwardly reprimanded himself for barking at his brother; he did not deserve this behavior. After all, without him, Kouen wouldn't be able to do all that he had done so far. He owed a lot to Koumei and Kouha. He wasn't angry at his brother; it was those damn advisors of his that he wanted to pummel. Taking a sobering breath, he studied the red-haired man as Koumei made slow progress toward him. He was in his normal baggy robes and jewelry. He held his metal vessel loosely in his right hand, a stack of papers occupying his left hand.

"You just left in the middle of the meeting," Koumei reminded him, placing his fan-metal vessel atop the papers and running his freed hand through his messy hair. How long had it been since Koumei had gotten a chance to go back to his own room and sleep in his own bed? He had been in so many meetings this past week.

Kouen wanted to tell his brother that he needed to stop overworking himself or he would end up with premature gray hair; not that Kouen was any better. Koumei seemed really worn down and tired. With a sigh, Kouen turned back around and continued down the hall, hearing his brother's following footsteps close behind. "I didn't feel like indulging in their idiotic plans." There was acid in his tone, but he didn't feel like covering it.

Koumei chuckled. "Those old geezers have been at this forever."

"And they haven't given up," Kouen agreed.

"Well, they know we're running out of reasons. They have you know, brother. We dont have any more excuses."

"Can't you think of something to divert them a bit longer? By then, I can find another reason. Maybe." Kouen knew this wasn't going to happen. He just had to face it: his advisors were going to force him to find a wife.

Its not that Kouen was against interactions with women. No, he enjoyed their company... for a night. After that, though, they were simply a nuisance. Being tied down to a single woman, whom he would have to find the time for, had not been his plan. But at this point, whether a chosen woman had qualities he wanted or not depended solely on his cooperation. Maybe he could find one that was low maintenance and wouldn't get in his way. That's the least he could ask for and the most he would expect from any of the snobs that were to be possible candidates. "I guess I better think about what I want in my woman," he muttered with a sigh of defeat. Defeat. That was new to him.

"Really?" Shock was evident in Koumei's voice.

Kouen opened his mouth, ready to complain about his predicament, when a commotion caught his attention. They had exited the confines of the palace and were now just outside the palace walls.

"Let go of me you you sick pervert!" a girl's voice yelled out.

Kouen and Koumei rounded a corner only to see a strangely interesting scene play out. One of the palace guards, one Kouen did not recognize, had a firm grip on the wrist of a black-haired girl, looking at her with non-platonic interest. Two other guards had accompanied him. One's back was turned to Kouen so he could not see his expression, but the other was leering at the girl with a sick grin. Within moments, the girl suddenly twisted in a way that sent the gripping man stumbling forward, barely saving himself the humiliation of falling on his face. Before the other two could register what had happened, the girl had swiped a foot beneath one of the men, making him fall back, stunned, as his feet left the ground. As he fell, she stole the sword from his scabbard and charged the last man, sending him in a tumble before slamming the tip of the sword though the earth between his legs.

Kouen watched with amusement as the girl moved a stray hair, which had escaped from her hair bun, behind her ear with delicate long fingers. She sneered at the man she was now straddling. "Consider yourself lucky. I missed on purpose. Next time, it won't be a clean shave," she hissed before standing up and dusting herself off.

One of the men, the one that hadn't yet fallen, seemed to have not learned his lesson, for he lunged for the girl, sword drawn. Before he could swing down, the man found his arm restrained. He looked up at Kouen in anger only to freeze up when realization dawned on him.

"I believe she already made a point that she didn't want you," Kouen spoke with a bored expression, but his eyes were deadly. They bore through the man's soul, leaving him shaking from fear of death. Kouen's other hand hovered over his metal vessel. Would it be bad of him to shred this man to pieces?

Kouen heard Koumei's careful steps behind him and realized what he was about to do wasn't right. He forced his hand to relax and return to his side, leaving the sword at his waist. Killing the man in the middle of the street wasn't a good option. With all the self-restraint he could muster, he released the man's arm, causing the man to fall to his knees, sword clattering to the ground.

Kouen looked back up in the girl's direction and met the most breathtaking sapphire orbs. The girl was looking back at him in surprise, amazement, and… horror? Shit, what had he done now to make this girl horrified? Before he could ask her, however, she turned and fled.

Confused, Kouen cocked his head to the side and turned to his brother. "Did I say something weird?"


	2. Ch2: Nightingale's Introduction

**I wrote up to chapter 3 of this story before classes started so thats why I can still update this. After next week all of my first exams will be finished and I can start updating the other stories, sorry for the delay.**

**I now introduce to your our OC, At the end of the chapter I'll give a more detailed explanation of her.**

**I do not own Magi or its characters, but please enjoy my fanfiction~**

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Chapter 2: Nightingale's Introduction

Before Kaho stood the large double doors that would lead to Prince Kouen's audience chamber. Kaho gulped audibly as she ran a shaky hand through her loose black hair. Her fingers glided through smoothly, causing her to scoff. The maids sure had done a good job to painstakingly brush out every single knot, even while she grumbled, complained and twitched every time they pulled a strand.

No, this wasn't the time to be resentful of the maids... They were only trying to help her. Not that she wanted it. She didn't want to be a possible bride for the crazy guy that sat on the throne behind these doors. She had heard things... scary things… And seeing him the week before hadn't quelled any of her fears. Would he just kill her on the spot if he didn't agree with something she said? Maybe he would think it over long enough for her to run. Not that she would be able to get far in this damn robe and jewelry; it weighed a freaking ton! Whose bright idea was this anyway? Oh right, her dad's. Daddy's little girl got everything she wanted, not that she ever asked for much, so it was hard to say no when her father asked her to do one little favor. She regretted saying yes. This was no small favor, this was a death sentence!

And she wasn't expecting the prince to be in any good mood either. After all, this arrangement of multiple proposals was due to his advisors, not the prince himself. Kaho doubted the prince wanted to marry.

Taking a deep breath, she built up her resolve and nodded to the guards who pushed the doors open for her.

She stepped forward, trying to keep her head high as she steadily walked into the large room. Advisors were crowded in rows on either side of her, leaving a great amount of space to make her entrance. They all watched her with scrutinizing eyes as if she was some prized show cat that they were about to purchase. Any slip up would reflect badly on her and her family. _Just take it a step at a time. Don't trip,_ she told herself.

Once she had gotten close enough to the steps leading up the the throne, she bowed, never once looking up at the prince.

"Kaho Nightingale of the Nightingale household. Suggested by 24 advisors." A man introduced her full title to the prince in monotone before listing off all of the people who had apparently decided, "Hey, why not that Nightingale girl? Let's send her to an early demise at the hands of the prince."

She could hear the whispers of the advisors around her. "Indeed, she holds herself well. She could be a good choice." "And she's a member of an older bloodline." "But I hear she can be a wild child, running around in the streets on her own." "I don't see any evidence of that here though." "She's of the right age." Kaho tried to block out the whispers but to no avail.

"You may stand." Kaho jumped at the sound of the prince's not-too-friendly voice. _Oh god... he's mad. What did I do? I haven't even said anything!_ She slowly stood, keeping her eyes down.

"Is the floor that interesting?" a commanding, unfamiliar voice questioned. "Look up girl!"

Swallowing, Kaho forced herself to look up. At the top of the steps stood a large throne. Prince Kouen sat upon it, wearing a bored expression. Upon eye contact, however, Prince Kouen seemed to sit up straighter, eyes widening. An intrigued grin spread across his lips, causing Kaho's breath to catch. No matter how fearful she was, no matter the fact that she had seen him before, she couldn't stop her thoughts. Hot damn, he was handsome! Well-built, red hair and eyes, and a confident look about him. He could get just about anything he wanted and he knew it.

Pulling her gaze away from the prince's ruby red eyes, she looked at the men standing near, beside, and behind him. A snake-haired man, a dragon man, a pig man, and a lion man glared at her. _Does the prince have a thing for animal people?_ Not wanting to stare, her eyes continued until she found someone she recognized: Prince Kouen's younger brothers, both having red hair. One of them, the taller one, seemed familiar and he looked down at her in interest before turning and whispering something to Prince Kouen, who chuckled and nodded.

Why were they whispering? It was obvious they were whispering about her. Kaho hated when people spoke behind her back. This blatant whispering right in front of her was infuriating! Why wasn't she allowed in on it?

The shorter brother seemed to get annoyed that he was being left out of their whispered conversation as well. "What did you tell Brother En, Koumei?" the younger one grumbled audibly, folding his arms in front of him as he pouted like a child. En? A nickname of sorts perhaps? She had heard that Prince Kouen had been nicknamed 'Entei'... Flame Emperor. Quite fitting actually.

Prince Koumei, the tall one, frowned at his younger brother. He seemed ready to ignore him until Kaho heard her own voice. "I would like to know as well My Lord, Prince Koumei." Her arms crossed under her chest as she glared up. Oh no, why had she said that? Even as she began to regret voicing her anger, she would not back down. Obviously she had become suicidal without realizing it.

There was a sudden uproar from the advisors. Koumei looked down at the girl in surprise. Before he had a chance to speak, his elder brother saved him.

"My brother was mentioning that you look familiar, Miss Nightingale," Kouen's voice was calm and demanded undivided attention, silencing the room, as he stared down at her. "Are you, by chance, the girl that was being molested in front of the palace a week ago?"

Kaho's jaw dropped open. _He didn't just…_ She was absolutely mortified at his proclamation and the sick bastard was enjoying it! He was smirking!

"Worry not," he continued when Kaho was silent while the advisors around the room had begun to whisper among themselves. "I have already dealt with the pigs." His eyes flashed dangerously.

_Oh god! He didn't actually kill those poor men, did he?_ She didn't mind them getting punished, but getting tortured and murdered by the terrifying Prince wasn't something she would wish on anyone.

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**Now for more details about Kaho Nightingale:**

**She is the first daughter of the Nightingale household, a noble family of the Kou Empire. This household is very old, considered "old blood", and thus has a great deal of respect and control in the Kou Empire. Her father is one of the advisors in the Emperors court, the same court that decided that Kouen needs to find a woman. her father has spoiled her all her life and wants the best for her, but he also wants the best for his family as a whole so he decided to try matching up his daughter to the first prince. He never expected the matching to go so well. Kaho also has an elder brother who will become the head of the household. While her brother can be bossy, he wants his sister to be safe, so he has taught her how to fight since he was little. Her mother on the other hand took very poorly to Kaho learning to fight and tried to stop her. They decided on a deal where Kaho would take her etiquette lessons more seriously if her brother was allowed to keep teaching her fighting.**

**Since she was little, Kaho has not taken well to orders. After getting into a few shouting fights with her family members, they ended up giving her more space to herself. She is a rather free spirit who likes to sneak out to go exploring in the city (which is when Kouen first met her in chapter 1). On the other hand she knows when to be respectful and act like an elegant lady of a noble family.**

**She has heard a lot of bad and bloody rumors of the first prince, and is thus very fearful of him. Later you will see that while she is fearful, she can be pushed over the edge into anger if Kouen is too commanding (the whole doesn't-like-being-ordered-around thing seems to slip his mind often.)**

**Physical description: She is 5'5" and in her early 20's (surprising that her father hadn't tried marrying her off earlier...). She has long black hair and blue eyes, both traits run in her family. She normally likes to keep her hair braided but will often have it loose when dressing up for something. She is lean and fit from her almost-daily practices with her brother. She uses the flexibility and agility from training for her sneaking out attempts when at home.**

**Er... is there anything I missed? If you have a question you can just ask~**


	3. Ch3: Entei's Invitation

**Hello everyone. Still alive~ I wont be able to update very often until december. My reason? School...**

**I do not own magi.**

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Chapter 3: Entei's Invitation

Kouen had never expected to find that the girl he had been looking for would waltz right into his audience chamber draped in the most lovely white robes. She was the first suggestion of the old geezers. Before the meeting, he had planned to just play his part and then send the scared little girl away with the wave of a hand. But when she looked up with those familiar blue eyes, everything changed. There she was! And he would be damned if he let her walk out of here. He had to hand it to those advisors, maybe they actually knew what they were doing.

After Koumei had whispered into his ear, he watched with heightening interest as the girl's terrified gaze began to burn with anger. And he had to hold back a laugh when she growled her comment at Koumei. He even noticed Koumei begin to sweat under the girls unwavering gaze.

But he couldn't just let the girl take command in _his_ palace. This was the perfect chance to confirm the girl's identity. He chose his words carefully and purposefully, hoping to have a little fun. "My brother was mentioning that you look familiar, Miss Nightingale. Are you, by chance, the girl that was being molested in front of the palace a week ago?" The girl froze, a helpless little deer captured in the gaze of a lion. Kouen smirked until he remembered those bastards. "Worry not. I have already dealt with the pigs." Well, more like Koumei dealt with them. Kouen had been hellbent on making them pay, but Koumei had told him that he would handle it.

The look of horror that the girl gave him was similar to the one he had seen that day a week ago, but this time she couldn't run off. Kouen couldn't hold back his laughter anymore. It filled, and echoed through, the room.

"Thank you." Kaho's voice was clear, untainted by fear or shyness. Kouen's laughter stopped as he looked back at her in surprise, unsure he had heard her correctly. "I could have handled it myself, but thank you." Kaho said again, her gaze meeting his own. The horror in her eyes was gone.

Kouen felt his lips twitch up into a warm smile. This girl had caught Kouen's attention since the first time he had seen her take down three guards. While he didn't know her well, what he had seen so far was a good first impression. He wanted, needed, to know more about her. "Miss Nightingale." He paused as he tried to think of the right words. Words that would make it impossible to refuse, but not scare her away at the same time. "I would like to extend an invitation to stay at the palace so that we may get to know each other better."

He heard his younger brother, Kouha gasp from surprise but ignored it. These meetings were for him to find a woman for himself. He was the only one who would decide if he was interested or not. And by the gods was he interested. He wanted to know all the secrets that those sapphire eyes hide behind their shimmering surface.

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Kaho sat at the foot of her bed, her new bed, as she stared down at the white robe she had worn to the audience with the prince. The beautiful robe was carelessly crumpled on the floor.

With a loud sigh, Kaho slid off the the plush bed allowing her new, less-formal robe to sway against her legs. Why the hell has she agreed to this? The prince's question had caught her off guard. That must be it. She would never, in her right mind, agree to stay at the palace.

Her father had been pleased to hear that she had caught the prince's fancy. He had even sent a wide array of her clothing and jewelry from home, most of which he must have chosen while expecting her to seduce the prince. She glared at her closet where the clothing hung, scoffing. As if she would try something like that.

A knock at the door disrupted her thoughts. "Lady Nightingale," a meek voice called. "Dinner will be ready soon and Lord Kouen expects your company."

With a frown, Kaho opened the door and allowed the female servant to lead her to the dining room, or at least she thought she was being led there. Apparently Kouen had other plans.

The maid opened a rather plain-looking door into a dimly lit room. Kaho could make out the multitude of large bookshelves filled to the brim with books and scrolls. Kouen sat at a desk, a stack of books at one corner of the desk and an old scroll flattened out before him. He didn't even look up when the maid announced Kaho's arrival. His eyes continued to scan over the parchment even when food was brought in and placed on a small table not too far from him.

Kaho frowned and grabbed the maid's arm before she could leave. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked in confusion. Why the heck did the prince expect her company when he didn't even seem to notice she was there?

The maid bowed. "Whatever you wish, my lady," she stated before retreating out the door.

_Yeah, thanks… that's helpful._ Kaho frowned before walking around the desk and Kouen, curious to see what had captured his whole concentration.

Kaho grimaced at the sight of strange lines and dots that made up a language she had never seen before. She really hoped that all of the books here were not in that language. She liked reading in her spare time, especially when she wasn't allowed to leave the house or couldn't find a way of escaping unnoticed. If she couldn't read this language, how was she going to entertain herself with these books? She couldn't stop herself from leaning closer to Kouen and the scroll to get a closer look. "What language is that?" she asked in a soft voice, in hopes of keeping the quiet peace in the room from shattering.

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Kouen looked at the girl in surprise. He hadn't even noticed that she had come in. He vaguely remembered a door opening and a maid saying something, but he had been so engrossed, he had simply ignored it.

An enticing scent of freshly bloomed blossoms forced Kouen to bite the inside of his cheek as he pulled away slightly from the girl who was now leaning over him to get a better look at the scroll. God, why did she smell so damn good? Was it natural? He remembered that the women he had spent time with always smelled… artificial… because of those perfumes they used. But this? It was absolutely delicious.

"Are you okay?" The girl's voice brought Kouen back to what was before him. He blinked a few times, looking into blue eyes. Oh, right. She was waiting for him to respond. What was the question again?

"It's the Torran Language." He decided to ignore her second question. Partially because he didn't care and partially because he wasn't sure if he was alright. His mind was still debating on whether it was natural for women to smell so… _No. Stop._ He told himself. _Stop thinking about it. It's not important and will only waste your time._

The girl hummed in thought as she looked over the scroll. "I'm not familiar with it." She turned her head to look at him. "Can you read it?"

Kouen chuckled. "Of course I can." What a foolish question. Did she think he had been _pretending_ to read it all that time?

She hummed again before adding "What does it say?"

Kouen listened intently to her question, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Was she just pretending to show interest in hopes of getting closer to him? No, he decided, she sounded genuinely curious.

"It talks about another world before our own. I have a few theories that it may be connected to the metal vessels."

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A smile spread across Kaho's face. "Hmm, sounds interesting. I wouldn't mind learning the language if I got to read something like that." Her hand flew over her mouth as her eyes widened and she took a few steps away from the prince. She hadn't meant to speak out loud, and by the look on his face, he hadn't expected her to stay something like that.

Slowly the prince's features relaxed and he smiled at her. "It is a hard language to learn. If you ever need any assistance, you may come to me." He stood from his seat and proceeded to the dinner placed out on the table not to far off. "Come. Let's eat."

Kaho frowned in annoyance. His words were not a suggestion, they were a command, and that really ticked her off. He thought he could just order her around? Hah! Ignoring him, Kaho sat down at the desk that the prince had abandoned and opened one of the books.

"What are you doing?" she heard the prince growl and looked up at him nonchalantly.

"Enjoying a good book," she stated simply with a shrug. It wasn't very convincing and she knew it. Especially since she was holding the book upside down.

"Come eat," the prince commanded.

Kaho frowned and her eye twitched a bit. "No thank you, my lord prince."

"I said come, girl." he exclaimed, patience running thin.

"I'm not hungry." That was a lie. She was just being stubborn.

"Then leave." Those two words were said so quietly that Kaho almost didn't hear them. Placing the book down, she stood and walked right out the door without saying a word.

She paused in the hallway, wondering how she would get to her room, and froze when she heard a crash coming from the library she had just left. Thank god it wasn't her. Why she was angering the prince when she was afraid of him, she wasn't sure. There was just something about being ordered to do something that struck a nerve. Not even her father would order her to do anything anymore.

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**Oh-oh, not the greatest idea of hers... What do you think of the story so far?**

**As for answers to my reviews:**

**Mitsuyuki-Hime: Actually Kaho is not yet his fiancé. Shes is a considered candidate. One of many. Of course, Kouen decided that he wants to get to know her better thus this chapter and on. While this story is going to be more lighthearted than my other Magi fanfictions, their relationship will definitely not be smooth, especially considering what just happened in this chapter. I'm not sure what will happen to her in the future. I'm the type of person who comes up with the plot as she goes along. Nothing is set in stone. However I don't think I will follow the actual plot Magi. No crazy Empress.**


	4. Ch4: Nightingale's New Home

**Yay! A new chapter finally! Chapter 5 is written but Its in major editing right now.**

**I do not own Magi or its characters. Kaho is mine of course.**

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Chapter 4: Nightingale's New Home

Kaho sighed, placing down her empty cup and picking up the book from the table. A maid rushed over from a corner and took the empty plate while another maid refilled the cup with tea before retreating back to a corner.

It had been two weeks since Kaho was invited to stay at the palace, and excluding the first night, she hadn't heard a peep from the prince. In fact, she was beginning to suspect that he was purposefully ignoring her. Maybe ignoring his order wasn't her brightest idea. At least the maids had kept her company, and she wasn't banned from the library. She had found a few books on the Torran language and had brought them to her room to read. But she was really having a hard time. If she hadn't caused the argument, she would have taken the prince up on his offer to assist her.

With another sigh, she placed the book back down, leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

"My lady." Kaho cracked an eye open and looked at the maid that had spoken. This seemed to be all the acknowledgement needed for the maid to continue. "You seem to be tired. Perhaps you would like a walk around the palace gardens?" That actually wasn't such a bad idea. Kaho nodded and followed the maid out of her room.

Even after two weeks, Kaho still got lost easily in the over-sized building. So far she had found 37 dead ends, though she may have counted some of them twice. It was a blessing that the maids didn't just abandon her at any one room for long.

Today, the maid that had suggested this little walk showed her the way to the garden but then told her she would be back in an hour-something about finishing some chores. Kaho walked for a bit before finding a secluded little area where she lay down in the grass beside the flowers and watched the clouds. It wasn't that she hated the place. In fact, it was very beautiful. It was just... she was a little lonely and bored. Normally, she would be able to talk with her mother and father and even sneak out to the town. Unfortunately, security here was so tight she couldn't get through unnoticed. She tried... A guard stopped her and told her it was dangerous to leave on her own. Kaho had to hold back her laughter and turned around, back to her room.

_The breeze feels so refreshing._ Kaho thought at she curled up on the soft grass. _And the flowers smell nice._

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Kouen growled, placing down his glass. A maid quickly came over and poured more wine into his glass before running back to a corner where she kept out of the way. Those damn old geezers had been keeping him busy with meetings for weeks and then they have the audacity to lecture him about spending time with that woman! The woman didn't even respect him, choosing to ignore what he asked her to do! It was so infuriating!

A knock at the door announced Koumei's arrival. Kouen leaned back on his sofa with a sigh. "Come in."

Koumei entered. "Brother, the next meeting will start in 10 minutes..." He paused and studied Kouen with furrowed brows. "Are you sure you want to go? I can always fill in for you."

Kouen glanced at him. Maybe he should take a break, before he snapped. "That may be a good idea, Koumei..."

"Perhaps you should go see Lady Nightingale..." Koumei began. "I mean, you can't just force her to live here and then ignore her."

"Perhaps..." Kouen stood up. "When the meeting's over, come find me."

Koumei nodded and left the room, hurrying to get to the meeting on time. Kouen turned to the maid in the room. "Do you know where Miss Nightingale is?" The maid shook her head no. "Then go find someone who knows," he ordered before closing his eyes for a moment as he rested on the sofa.

It didn't take long for the maid to return with another maid. "Lady Nightingale is taking a walk in the back gardens," the new arrival informed him.

He nodded and waved them away before making his way to find that woman.

"Where is she?" he growled as he walked along a path. He had been walking for a while and still didn't see her. Just as he was about to turn around and head back he saw a speck of white among the green grass. He frowned as he drew closer.

He stood above the girl's still body and looked at her peaceful expression. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing in a slow rhythmic pattern. Her hair was loose and fanned out around her. That girl had, for who knows what reason, lain down in the grass and fallen asleep.

With a sigh of exasperation, Kouen sat down beside her and leaned back on his hands._ I suppose it is nice out._

He closed his eyes to enjoy the breeze when he felt something warm curl up closer to him, almost on his lap. He looked down with wide eyes at the smiling girl. He lifted one hand and hovered it over her head, unsure of whether he wanted to move her or run his fingers through her soft-looking hair.

With a grumble he moved her, but not off him like he had first planned. He drew her closer, giving her head a more comfortable position on his lap. A content sigh escaped his lips when he ran his hand over her hair. It was just as soft as it looked, and the feeling seemed to relax him far more than even the wine had.

He leaned back again and closed his eyes, enjoying the cooling breeze and the warmth radiating off the girl.

"Brother En?" Kouha's voice was full of surprise.

Kouen opened one eye and glared up at Kouha who took a step back.

"Er, sorry. I was just..." he stopped talking and looked around. "Um, Koumei is looking for you."

"Then go and tell him where I am," Kouen told him, not willing to get up.

Kouha nodded before running off. Not long after Kouha disappeared, Koumei strolled down the path. "When I suggested to talk to her, I didn't expect it to go _this_ well," Koumei chuckled.

Kouen shrugged. "I found her sleeping."

* * *

Something felt warm and soft. Odd, Kaho didn't remember going to bed and thats the only time shes felt this safe before. And why did it her pillow smell of herbs and spices? Not that she was complaining; the scent added to the relaxing atmosphere. She still felt rather sleepy. Perhaps staying up late reading books wasn't a good idea.

In an attempt to fall back asleep she buried her face deeper in her pillow. She took a deep breath and sighed with content. Even the gentle strokes of a hand through her hair was helping in luling her to sleep. Wait. Hand? Why would her mom be stroking her hair? The last time she had done that was when Kaho was a child and had broken down into tears because her grandparents had gotten mad at her for not acting lady-like.

"Are you finally awake?" a familiar voice whispered, probably not wishing to wake her if she wasn't actually awake.

She racked her brain trying to figure out where she had heard that voice before. It hit her so suddenly she jolted up in a sitting position and looked back at Prince Kouen. He looked rather startled at the sudden movement before he relaxed and grinned.

"I assume that's a yes," he scoffed. "About time."

Kaho frowned. "Why are you here?" she asked rather rudely. She bit her lip when she noticed the prince narrow his eyes. "I mean... Is there something you require... my lord?"

"Kouen," the prince stated simply.

"What?" Kaho looked at him in confusion. Why was he saying his own name?

"Call me Kouen," he stated.

This caused Kaho to frown before hissing out. "Is that an order?"

Kouen tilted his head to the side, a gesture she had never seen him do before. Strange. But it was rather cute. Wait, what was she thinking?!

"No."

Kaho blinked. "No?"

"It's not an order," he elaborated. "It's... a request."

Kaho blinked again before smiling. "... Kouen..."

"What?" he asked in a bored tone.

"I was just trying it out." Kaho giggled at the stare that Kouen gave her. "What? Am I not allowed to say your name if its not important? I thought you said I could call you Kouen." This induced a frown from Kouen, but it was short-lived as he sighed and stood up. "Where are you going... Kouen." She hesitated at the name. It felt strange calling him simply by his name. Maybe she should add a 'lord' in front of it?

"Inside. It's getting late and I've already missed dinner," he explained before offering a hand. "Aren't you coming? You're probably hungry too."

Well at least he wasn't ordering her to come this time. She smiled, taking his hand. "You didn't have to wait up on me."

Kouen chuckled. "You grabbed onto me and wouldn't let me go."

This new knowledge generated a blush on Kaho's cheeks. "S-sorry... I didn't..." She wasn't sure how to finish that sentence. Thankfully, she didn't have to, saved when a maid approached them.

"My lord. My lady." She bowed to them. "I have set up dinner on a table in the garden if you would like to eat outside."

Kouen nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. It is rather nice out." He then looked at Kaho.

"Sure." Kaho grinned, understanding the look in his eyes as a question.

* * *

**Well at least Kouen caught on quickly to the problem, though he did have a little help in that regard (will be mentioned in Chapter 5). And don't worry, more funny arguments will come. This new found knowledge wont solve anything. They just have very.. naturally clashing personalities.**

** So I need opinions. Are the characters IC or OOC?**

**Reviews: (also thanks to everyone for reviewing and following and favorite-ing )**

**Dianne060807 and others: I forget if I mentioned before. At this point I don't know if Kaho will get a metal vessel. It would definitely be interesting if she did though.**

**Notenoughspace: I hate when I run out of space... on another note, I looked up what Kaho ment before I named the OC (after asking someone else for a name idea). But anyways, most meanings have something to do with flower, summer, incense or perfume... which is why I end up mentioning smells a lot.**

**AliasGrace625: hmm, you're right, it does seem kinda beauty-and-the-beast-y. A female friend is a good idea, though I'm not having too much trouble with background. I would normally spread the background out rather than give it in the beginning like I did, but I've learned that people like to have a little info on the Oc at the beginning rather than waiting though the whole story.**


	5. Ch5: Entei's Dinner for Two

**I do not own Magi or it's characters.**

**Final exams are getting close so I will be putting everything on hold until about the middle of December.**

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Chapter 5: Entei's Dinner for Two

Kouen watched quietly as Kaho dug into her food without a second thought. She wasn't even trying to act lady-like. It was rather amusing and refreshing. Those pricks, his advisors, however, probably would kick the girl out on the curb if they ever saw such appalling behavior.

She looked up at him then, noticing his gaze. "What?" she asked with narrowed eyes. She moved the plate closer to her. Was she being territorial over her food? Really? Kouen couldn't stop the laughter. His hand banged on the table as he tried to control his laughing fit, eventually subsiding into a chuckle. He noticed the girl was staring at him as if he had gone insane.

"Don't worry," Kouen began, wiping a tear from his eye. "I won't steal your food. I was just thinking how horrified your parents must have been when they saw your table etiquette."

The girl frowned. "I have wonderful table etiquette," she grumbled. "I just didn't see the point of using it when you're the only audience." She paused as she thought. "Not that you don't deserve respect. But I just don't see the point of not acting myself in front of the man that I may end up being forced to marry."

"Forced?" Kouen picked up on the word in confusion. He had assumed that all the women that the council had suggested were more than happy to oblige in trying to ensnare him into marriage. Perhaps he was wrong.

She nodded before looking at him with a confused expression. "You've been acting weird. Why are you so talkative all of a sudden? And what's with the whole 'it's a request' thing?"

Kouen looked up at the sky. Was that really what had been bothering her that time in the library? A simple command? When Koumei and he had talked in the garden while Kaho was asleep, he finally explained what had happened in the library. Koumei had looked at him like he had done the worst kind of sin before suggesting that rather than commanding her, he should try asking her. At first he wasn't sure how to. When he told her to call him by his name, Kouen had actually used his commanding voice, but the angry look he had received from her reminded him and he was, thankfully, able to save his blunder when she asked him her question.

Kouen looked back across the table, realizing that the girl was quiet. She was still waiting for an answer. "I... got some advice." Great. He had gotten dating advice from his younger brother. Of course, he had never dealt with a girl who wasn't trying to impress him. No wonder his normal attitude had made things go sour.

The girl hummed before looking back at her food and frowning.

"Is something wrong?" Kouen asked her. If the food was so bad, why had she eaten so much of it?

"I have a question but... it's kind of weird," she admitted looking back at him with a curious look in her eyes.

He nodded, expecting her to continue.

"Do you go to the kitchens a lot?"

Kouen waited a few moments, thinking she would elaborate. What kind of question was that? Of course not. Why would he need to? "No...?"

She frowned as if that wasn't the answer she had been hoping for. "Then why did you smell like..." she cut herself off, her face turning bright red. "N-never mind."

Now this was intriguing. Kouen grinned deviously. Was that why she had clung to him in her sleep? She had liked his scent? "Do tell."

Kaho growled as she glared at him. "Never mind," she stated more firmly.

Kouen stood and walked around the table, a smirk still on his face. He leaned forward from behind Kaho to whisper in her ear. "You have a rather nice fragrance as well. Would you like to know what you smell like?" he asked her in a tone that all the women had loved. Sadly, he didn't get the same reaction, though it was still amusing.

She jumped out of her seat, nearly hitting him in the chin-thankfully he had quick reflexes-before spinning around and face him. Her cheeks and ears were red but she looked more embarrassed than seduced. "D-d-don't do that!" she hissed, her hand flying to her ear. "I- I'll f-freaking punch you." Though her threat lost its menace due to her stuttering.

Kouen scoffed. He had seen her fighting ability only once before, and while it had been good, he highly doubted she could win in a fight against him. "I doubt you could even get close enough to punching me."

The girl's face turned even redder, but this time he guessed it was from anger as she lunged at him, causing Kouen to jump back in surprise. Dodging her punches was rather effortless but still funny, maybe even cute.

"Wipe that smirk off your face," she hissed between ragged breaths.

Kouen just chuckled as he continued to dodge her punches, dinner forgotten on the table. "Come on, you'll have to be a bit faster than that," he grinned as she took the bait and growled in anger, charging him again. Unfortunately, she was so focused on him that she tripped over herself and fell forward. In a flash, Kouen caught her around the waist. "You need to be more careful," he told her, helping her back on her feet.

She glared back at him, her blue eyes flashing as she ground her teeth. He noticed her muscles suddenly tensing and she straightened her back. A look of horror surfaced on her face before she turned away from him, heading quickly to the table.

"What now?" he asked her, a little annoyed with this new development, as he followed her and took a seat again.

* * *

When Kaho's temper flared, she had completely forgotten who she was speaking with as she swung her fist at him. It infuriated her even more when she just kept missing! And his taunts! She wanted to strangle him!

It was the trip up that gave her a moment to think. She felt the blood drain from her face. She had just attacked Prince Kouen, First Prince of the Kou Empire, the fearsome conqueror and great general of the Kou army!

What was going to happen to her? She didn't want to die. Without thinking, Kaho turned around and headed back to the table, in hopes of leaving the past in the past. Her hands trembled as she heard Kouen's footsteps behind her, louder than earlier. Was he angry?

"What now?" she heard him growl in annoyance.

Looking up quickly, she tried to gage how angry he was by his facial expression. Strangely, he looked more confused than angry. Maybe she could apologize and her actions would be forgiven. "I… stepped over bounds. Forgive me for my rude behavior," she murmured.

Silence followed her statement, leaving her more fearful than before. Glancing up, she frowned upon seeing Kouen's bewildered expression. As their eyes met, the bewilderment was replaced with exasperation.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "What rude behavior?"

Kaho looked back down at her hands, wondering how to answer. Had her actions not been rude? "I threatened you and… attacked you."

Kouen's chuckling really annoyed Kaho. _Why is he laughing? This isn't funny._

"I dont know about you, but I was having fun." Kouen finally said. "So no, I didn't find it rude."

Kaho looked up at him in shock, watching a big grin form on his face. _Fun?_ She frowned before standing up. "Thank you for your time, Prince. I must be going now." With that, she left the garden.

* * *

**Oh Oh, shes back to calling him Prince.**


	6. Ch6: Nightingale's Boredom

**Hello Everyone! I'm back~ Winter break is here at last so I will be updating my fanfictions as often as I can. Unfortunately, I have been having a bit of a writers block for this particular fanfiction. I was finally able to come up with something, but this chapter is really short. I hope you like it. If you have any idea's to add in later chapter's I'm all ears. Since this fanfiction does not follow any plot, I have a lot more free reign to add as much fluff as I (and you all) want.**

**I still do not own Magi.**

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Chapter 6: Nightingale's Boredom

Palace life was absolutely booooring. Kaho plopped onto her bed and glared up at the red fabric that roofed the bed. What was she going to do? She wanted to go out into the city but she needed to ask Kouen. Unfortunately, she had been avoiding him, and was not planning on stopping, ever since their little dinner in the garden.

_If I can't go out, maybe I can find a book in the library,_ she thought as she stood up. Kaho had already burned through most of the collection, but maybe, just maybe, she would find something that had hidden from her until now.

She made her way down the hall in silence. She was happy that she had at least memorized how to get to the library, so she didn't have to find a maid to help her.

Once there, she opened and closed the door delicately and quietly before walking slowly down one aisle, then the next. In the end she only found books that she had specifically skipped since they had seemed boring. She sighed. _Beggars can't be choosers I suppose._ She had heard there was another library, larger than this one, but it was near Kouen's room, which Kaho tried to steer clear of.

She hummed a little tune as she found a spot beside a window at the far end of the library, away from any prying eyes, before opening one of the books she had dubbed 'boring' and beginning to read.

Before she had even gotten to chapter one -though she agreed that it was dreadfully boring- she heard footsteps going through one of the aisles. Out of the corner of her eye, Kaho watched as Kouen came into view. His footsteps stopped as he caught sight of her from around the corner.

"Look who I found," Kouen chuckled. "What are you doing here?"

She looked up at him and frowned. "What does it look like? I'm reading." Her voice was full of annoyance. She really hoped he would get the hint and leave; unfortunately, if he did notice, he didn't seem to care and instead came closer to stand just in front of her.

"Wouldn't sitting at a table be more comfortable?"

"The floor's nice too," Kaho all but growled. Couldn't he see she didn't want to talk? She looked back to her book in hopes of ignoring him.

Kouen chuckled and sat down beside her, much to her increasing annoyance. He watched her scoot further away from him with a grin before asking, "So what are you reading?"

Kaho felt her eye twitch as she glared down at the book in her hands. "Why?"

She saw movement from the corner of her eye and glanced at Kouen as he shrugged. "Just curious. I have some free time."

With a huff, she looked back down at the book. "Then go bother someone else."

"Hmmm, what if I don't want to?"

"Thats too bad." _Just leave already! As if reading this shit wasn't hard enough as it was without you distracting me!_ Because thats exactly what he was doing. Even now, every slight shift that Kouen made blew a light scent of spices in her direction.

"Yes, it is." Kouen sighed. But Kaho ignored him as she felt a light blush heat up her cheeks. The scent reminded her of their dinner earlier.. and what he said. _He said I have a nice smell… Was he joking? Or..._

Kouen sighed again, grabbing Kaho's wrist. Kaho gasped, looking up at him in surprise. "What did I do to anger you this time?" he asked.

Kaho blinked a few times. Did he really care enough to ask? That surprised her a little._ No, he tried to be nice before too. Does he really care?_ She pursed her lips and thought before stating "You laughed at me."

He frowned, releasing her wrist in his surprise. "Well it was funny."

"I didn't find it funny." Kaho stated, pulling her wrist closer to her before returning her attention to the book.

"You're being way too picky."

Kaho dropped the book with a sigh.

"What's the matter now?"

"The book is boring," Kaho said, hugging her knees close to her chest. Why was she telling him that?

Kouen picked up the book and flipped through it. "Why not read something else?"

"I've read everything that's interesting in this room."

Kouen whistled. "You do realize there's another library."

"Yes, but it's your library. Emphasis on _your_." Kaho sighed. Was she going to have to start rereading books now? Because there was no way she was reading that boring crap that she had planned on reading.

"So? You have my permission to read whatever you want in there, as long as you don't destroy anything," he said as he got up and stretched before offering his hand to her.

She stared up at him with wide eyes. Her gaze shifted to his hand before she smiled and took it. She was surprised at how big his hand was. And warm. It was also calloused, as if he worked with his hands a lot. Though, he was the army's great general, so that wasn't a surprise. "I would never destroy a book."

The walk was shorter than Kaho had expected, though the whole time she was watching their linked hands.

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**Thoughts?**

**Time for the comment corner!**

**minchen0897: Glad you liked it. When I thought of Kouen laughing, I always remember that really booming evil laugh from when Judal tells him about his conversation with Sinbad. Also, its not like we know how he would act around a girl he likes, but I agree that laughing openly is a little ooc. I'll try taking it down a notch.**

**Mitsuyuki-Hime: Thanks! Glad you think so! :)**


	7. Ch7: Entei's Strange Feelings

**Hi again everyone! thank you so much for being patient. I start my classes up again tomorrow... I can't believe I wasted my whole winter break!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. the beginning was almost too sickeningly sweet for me so I hope it turned out ok. Is it just me or does the font look different... oh well.**

**I don't own Magi.**

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Chapter 7: Entei's Strange Feelings

Kouen stood up from his seat and stretched, watching as his advisers filed out of the room. Another long meeting come to a close. All he wanted to do now was take a nap. Yeah, a nap sounded nice. Maybe afterward he would go see what that girl was up to.

He yawned as he made is way to his part of the palace. He glared when a maid came up to him. _What is it this time? _

The maid bowed. "Lady Nightingale was looking for you, My Lord."

Kouen frowned. She had been looking for him? Was she still looking for him? The mere thought made him want to find her right away. Who knew what sort of trouble she could get into while looking for him? She was a rather troublesome woman after all. "How long ago?"

"A few hours ago. I informed her that My Lord was in a meeting. She said she was going to the library."

"Which library?" he asked even as he turned around to go toward his library. Hadn't the girl said something about having read everything in the main library?

"Yours, My Lord," the maid said, not moving from her spot as he grew farther away.

Kouen ignored everyone that he passed by with only one goal in mind: his library. He opened the double doors and glanced around, finding nothing out of place. _Where could she have gone?_

He headed deeper into the large room, zig-zagging through bookshelves until…

Kouen's footsteps faltered as he caught sight of white against the red of a large couch. He drew closer to the still form draped in noble white robes, pausing only when he stood before it. His shadow fell over the very girl he had been looking for, a book resting on her stomach as she lay out over the couch. Kaho… That was her name. It had so many different meanings, but all of them held a promise of something sweet and beautiful. No matter how often he simply thought of her as 'that girl' he still remembered her name. It rang out clearly, annoying him to no end. Why would she not leave him be? No other woman had invaded his mind like this.

He watched her silently as she turned slightly in her sleep, causing the book to fall over and sending a breath of her wonderful scent toward Kouen. Her peaceful expression shifted into a fearful grimace, making Kouen's heart clench. He didn't like that expression on her.

Without thinking, he reached out a hand and ran it over her long black hair, which had fanned around her, contrasting against the red cushions. At the touch, her peaceful expression returned and she cuddled closer to his hand.

Her movement was so sudden and confusing to Kouen that he snapped his arm back from her possession. Due to her hold, she came with the hand halfway, causing her to fall off the couch, making a gasping noise as she hit the floor.

She looked up in confusion and their eyes met. There was silence for a few moments as she seemed to process what had happened, and even before her eyes narrowed, Kouen knew she would get the wrong impression.

Kaho jumped up from the floor, blue fire burning in her eyes. "What did you do that for?" she growled.

He raised his hands in surrender, smiling. "I didn't push you off. Or at least, I didn't mean to."

At his words and honesty in his voice, Kaho deflated, hands relaxing out of fists and shoulders slumping.

He almost wished he had done it on purpose just to see that fire that she had showed.

"How long was I out?" The girl looked back at the couch, covering her mouth with a hand as she yawned. The same delicate hand rubbed at her eye, removing tears that had formed at the edge. Kouen frowned as he remembered holding that very hand as he led her to this very room. It had been so small in his own, yet so soft and cool.

"Kouen?"

Kouen tensed slightly, blinking as he looked directly into familiar blue eyes. She was so close! When had she gotten so close?

"Are you okay?"

Kouen took a deep breath to calm himself only to freeze up. _Bad idea,_ he realized as her scent invaded his senses.

He took a step back and gulped. "Yeah," he croaked. He took another breath and cleared his throat. "I'm fine." There, that sounded more like himself. "What were you asking?" he asked, realizing he had heard her voice while he was watching her hand.

She frowned, not seeming to believe his earlier statement. "I asked how long was I asleep."

Kouen shook his head, both as an answer and to reawaken his mind from wherever it had traveled. "I just got here not too long ago."

"Hmm," her sweet voice vibrated at she thought. She picked up the book from where it sat, the motion drawing Kouen's attention.

He eyed the book on the Alma Torran language, smirking. "Were you really trying to learn that?" he asked with a chuckle, feeling more like himself.

The girl glared back up at him. "I said I wanted to, so yes." She switched her glare toward the book. "But I'm stuck," she grumbled in annoyance.

"Where? Maybe I can help?" He grinned, taking the book from her hands. As their skin touched he noticed her freeze up, but she was back to normal before he could even question it.

"Y-you don't have to. I know you're busy," she stammered, wringing her hands together.

He grabbed one of her hands as he lead her to a table. "I don't have anything else for the rest of the day," he informed her.

"Aren't you tired though?"

"You sound like you're_ trying _to get rid of me. Am I that unpleasant to be around?" he asked jokingly, but it seemed to make her falter.

"No! Of course not! At least.. not lately," she frowned, as if she hadn't meant to say it that way.. "I mean…"

Kouen decided to let her off the hook and changed subjects. "How are you enjoying my library?"

"Oh its wonderful!" she exclaimed, jumping at the new topic as a smile spread across her face. "It really is. So many great books…" she trailed off.

"Don't you get bored of reading all day? I mean, I do that too, but… you're such a troublesome woman. You seem like the wild adventurous type." He chuckled at the look he received from her.

The girl finally looked away. "I… do get a little bored here, but the gate guards have told me I can not leave on my own."

Kouen frowned as they took a seat at the table. Should he? He wasn't sure. "Then how about I accompany you?"

The sudden happiness sparkling in her eyes settled his resolve.

"How about tomorrow at around noon?" He had a meeting but… he would cancel. There was no point in making her… in making Kaho wait any longer for a little bit of freedom. She had been patient for long enough.

Without warning, Kaho's arms flew around Kouen, pulling him into a soft and warm embrace. His shoulders stiffened, relaxing only slightly when Kaho pulled back. Her eyes were wide in shock and she quickly took a seat at the other side of the table, redness spreading across her cheeks and her hands resting in her lap as she looked down, not daring to make eye contact.

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**Comment corner:**

**909kk: Mmmm meat. Delicious, but not what I would want my guy to smell like, so I assume neither would Kaho.**

**minchen0897: yep, I saw the chapters. I'm glad you are enjoying my story.**

**Guest number 2: OH! Thanks so much for mentioning that! I don't know what I was thinking. I try to keep it the same but theres only so much I can remember at a time. I went back and fixed a few different places.**

**Mitsuyuki-Hime: You're a mind reader! I am adding Judal in later~ Who doesn't love a little Judal. But he won't be a love interest. This will be all KouenxKaho~**


	8. Ch8: Nightingale's Taste of Freedom

**Another chapter finally! I had a lot of trouble with this one. I just couldn't figure out what to do. My first attempt at it was half as long as this and was so boring I scrapped it almost immediately. What do you all think of this one?**

**By the way, if you follow my other Magi fanfictions, I mentioned that I'm trying to create my OC's with a character creator. I did this for Kaho too. It will be the new cover picture. The sword she holds is a little sneakpeak into something she will have in the future. :)**

**Once again, I do not own Magi.**

**Oh thats right. I'll mention at the end of this chapter my reasons for why I'm always so late at uploading. I already said this before in my Judal Fanfic.**

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Chapter 8: Nightingale's Taste of Freedom

"Have a safe trip, My Lord, Lady Nightingale," a guard saluted as a disguised Kaho and Kouen left the palace though the front gate. Kouen nodded to them in acknowledgement. Kaho simply ignored them in favor of smiling as she observed the bustling of early morning. Everyone seemed to be up and about.

"Where to first?" Kouen asked, looking down at Kaho, savoring the sight of her smile. She looked like a bird let out of its cage, ready to fly into the sky. He only feared that, with a taste of sudden freedom, his Nightingale would not return to her cage. He frowned at the sudden realization that he had thought of Kaho as his.

_Why am I so surprised?_ he scoffed to himself._ She is mine. A possible bride in this game of politics and succession._

He watched her as she headed down the street, a happy spring in her step. Suddenly she turned around. "Come on slowpoke!" she giggled at him.

Kouen's eyes widened. She hadn't just run off to freedom; she waited for him. He felt hopeful that it was a sign that his little bird would return to its master no matter what.

* * *

Kaho was absolutely ecstatic. Finally! Finally she had returned to the world outside the palace. She felt so free, as if she could go anywhere and do anything.

_Wouldn't this be the perfect time to run?_ Kaho's lips twitched, reverting to a frown only for a millisecond. _This isn't true freedom,_ the voice continued._ You're still leashed to the prince._

Kaho ignored the voice, instead opting to begin her journey through the town. She stopped when she noticed Kouen wasn't following. Was he really giving her free reign to go anywhere? Wasn't he going to stop her if she got too far away?

"Come on slowpoke!" she announced, turning to Kouen and plastering a grin her her face.

He looked her way and nodded, his long strides allowing him to reach her quickly.

They walked through many streets, simply talking and stopping by a small shop here and there. At some point they had stopped at a little clearing on the outskirts of town and had sat down. Kaho treasured the feeling of the autumn wind against her face and the gentle sway of grass beside her. Autumn already… Where had the time gone? She had completely forgotten Kouen's presence until he spoke up.

"Where to next?" Kouen asked.

Kaho frowned, having lost the feeling of freedom yet again. Her face suddenly lit up in delight as she realized something. "Oh, there's this wonderful restaurant farther down town. It's not the classiest place, but their food is spectacular!" she exclaimed happily. She looked forward to going there again. She had found the quaint place on one of her explorations of the town and had made quick friends with the child of the woman that owned the shop. Because it was such a small, unrecognized place, the woman didn't have the money to hire help and Kaho had said she could help out.

Her time there had been one of her happiest memories. Interacting and laughing with the regular clientele. She had promised the owner that she would stop by to help out again. Of course, that had been months ago.

As she led Kouen toward it, she realized how stupid her hopes were. There was no way she could help out in the restaurant. She was with a prince for God's sake. What was she thinking? What if they realized she was a noble? Would they think differently of her?

"What's the matter?" Kouen asked.

Kaho looked up at him, realizing she had stopped in the middle of the street. "It's nothing…" She looked in the direction of the restaurant longingly before turning back to Kouen. "Actually… let's go back."

Koune looked at her in surprise. "Already? I thought you wanted to go to some restaurant."

"I changed my mind. I want to go back." She turned on her heels and headed in the opposite direction of her original destination. She could hear his steps behind her. Her earlier realization led to many others. She wasn't free. It had only been an illusion. One she had fallen into completely. As long as she was tied to Kouen and nobility, she would never be truly free.

The night had creeped in already, making Kaho shiver under the thin peasant clothing. The sound of footsteps behind her made her blood freeze cold. She knew it wasn't Kouen's steps. While he was a large man, he had a gracefully quiet step. Looking around, she realized just how deserted the streets had become. "Kouen…" she whispered.

"I know," came his immediate response. She glanced at him to notice that his hand was hovering near where she knew he had a hidden weapon.

"Do you have a spare?"

Her question made Kouen's steps faltered momentarily before he looked at her with narrowed eyes. "What?"

"I'm not completely useless, you know," she informed him. "I can handle myself just fine."

This only made him frown.

The ambush was too sudden. She saw the shadows just before they sprung from in front of her. In the next moment, Kouen's blade was engaged with that of one of the thugs. Some of the thugs looked dazed, having realized that their prey wasn't as defenceless as they had thought.

They watched as their buddy was cut down with little remorse. They had been cornered by their own prey and had become prey themselves. Kaho should have realized what would happen next. She knew that cornered animals were dangerous but she couldn't react in time. She watched in horror as they all suddenly attacked Kouen. And while he was quick and easily defeated those in front of him, he hadn't noticed the one that came from behind and stabbed him.

Kouen grunted but stood his ground, killing the man that had dared draw his blood. When he looked up he saw that they were surrounded. The thugs' backup had arrived. Without pausing, he charged with his bloodied blade and was forced into a locked confrontation with another blade.

Kouen glanced at Kaho over his shoulder. "What are you doing? Run!" he growled.

Kaho blinked. _Run… he said run. He wants me away from here. Safe. But he's hurt. Will he be safe?_

_Why would you care? Take his advice and run. If he dies then you're free!_ the voice in the back of her mind commanded.

Kaho glanced around. There was an opening near the alleyway. She could easily slay the man blocking it and make it out. She could lose any followers in the darkness easily.

She looked back at Kouen. He seemed to be slowing down, his movements sluggish and not as deadly as before._ He's losing too much blood,_ she observed. _I can't just abandon him. Can I?_

She looked down at her feet, where the body of one of their attackers lay. Bending down, Kaho slowly wound her delicate fingers around the man's sword. It wasn't a katana like she had been trained in by her brother but it would serve its purpose. She slowly stood back up and eyed her surroundings calmly.

On of the men that was not engaged in the battle with Kouen noticed her and grinned. "What are you going to do with that, little lady? Thats not a toy, you should be car-" His words were cut short as blood sprung from his lips. He looked down in shock at the dagger that had pierced his skin. The girl that held it smiled at him innocently before twisting it.

"I realize it is no toy," she whispered before pulling it out as he fell to the ground. She spared him only a glance. "By the way, you should get that looked at. I think you may have a damaged lung."

She flicked her wrist, sending drops of blood to the ground before running toward the fight. She jumped nimbly out of the way of a sword that bit through the air and sent her dagger though the owner's side.

The man hissed and pulled away in an attempt to escape but Kaho quickly sprang forward and cut deeply through his throat.

When she looked back up, she saw the thugs that still lived retreating. Kouen watched them run before turning to her and surveying their surroundings. His eyes widened and he did a double take, looking Kaho up and down. "Are you injured?" He looked worried.

Kaho looked down at herself and grimaced. The front of her dress was slick with fresh blood. "It's not mine." She flicked her wrist again, releasing the dagger this time. It sped down and embedded itself into the corpse of the man whose throat she had cut. It gave off a sick tearing sound as it ripped through the man's skin.

With the blade no longer in her grasp she blinked a few times and made a disgusted expression as she pulled at the fabric that clung to her body. "Ew. I'm going to need a bath, maybe two." She then turned her attention to Kouen. "The question should be, are you okay?"

Kouen swayed slightly causing Kaho to panic for a second as she rushed to him, but he pushed her away. "I'm fine," he growled before turning to walk in the direction of the palace. "Come on." He didn't take more than two steps before he stumbled.

Kaho ran forward and tried to catch him only to realize too late that he was far heavier than she could ever hope to hold up. They both fell, Kaho underneath Kouen.

She expected pain to shoot through her skull and closed her eyes, but the pain never came. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself looking into rubies. Kouen blinked.

"A-are you okay?" Kaho gasped, scrambling up. _Did he turn us in mid air and take the brunt of the fall?_

"I'm fine!" The growl was louder this time as Kouen stood up. Without another word he turned back toward the palace.

Kaho stayed close beside him in case he ever stumbled again, but the rest of the walk was uneventful. When they finally reached the palace, a wave of guards suddenly surrounded them.

"My Lord!"

"Get the doctor!"

"What happened?"

"Lady Nightingale!"

Everything went by so quickly before Kaho's eyes. She informed someone, whoever asked, that she was alright. She had watched Kouen led off to see a doctor, much to the prince's annoyance. And she herself was led off for a change of clothing and a bath.

Kaho sighed as she allowed a servant to clean her hair. _How did I manage to get blood into my hair?_ Kaho looked at her hands before balling them into fists and leaning her head back to close her eyes. She had given up her chance to escape today. She had chosen to stay by Kouen's side. Kaho wondered if she would one day regret this decision.

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**So I know that Kaho seems out of character in a bit of this but that's actually on purpose. It's probably really subtle but she has a slight change in personality when holding a sword. This will appear more when she actually has a sword.**

**(I just copied and pasted this from my other fanfic note.)Right, so explanation time. I'm a college student who is planning on applying for veterinary school (this summer in-fact). This means a lot of studying, a lot of hard classes, and a lot of worrying how the hell I'm going to pay for all of this. In the next few months I have to make sure I get A's in all my classes, study and take the GRE (a 4 hour exam), find and gather letters of recommendation, and apply... As you can expect, this is kinda stressful. Adding in the fact that I'm writing a book and a bunch of fanfictions on the side, you may wonder when I have freetime...**

**So there's my little whiny rant about how terrible my life is. It's not really that bad but I'm an overachiever who gets stressed over the smallest things...**

**As for reviews, there are not that many for last chapter. Theres not much I can answer to them other than: thank you for your support! I hope you enjoy this new chapter.**


	9. Ch9: Entei's Confusion

**Hey all. Just to let you know, I have a poll up on my profile. Whenever I finish one of my current fan fictions, this poll will basically decide what fan fiction I start next.**

**I still don't own Magi... sigh.**

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Chapter 9: Kouen's Confusion

Kouen stared at his library wall, deep in thought. He held a book open in his hands, though he hadn't read a single word for the past three hours. Originally, he had planned on reading, but he just couldn't concentrate. Thoughts of the girl that had kept herself locked in her room combined with the dull ache coming from the wound on his lower back made it rather hard to concentrate. Kaho was acting strangely… ever since they had returned to the palace.

He really wished he knew what the problem was. Perhaps he could fix it.

"Oi, Kouen. What the hell ya' staring at?"

Kouen glared at the nuisance that had entered his library without permission. "What is it Judal?"

Judal grinned mischievously, striding confidently though the room. He stopped at a book shelf on the way and pulled out a random book. He glanced at it before throwing it over his shoulder with a shrug. "I'm gone for a few months and when I come back I hear that the mighty Kouen has a pet."

Kouen flinched slightly at the dehumanising sentence about Kaho. A few months back he would have thought of a wife in the same way. A pet that needs to be pampered in order to make her shut up. But Kaho was somehow different. She was his caged bird, and yet she was more than that. Seeing her smile when she was enjoying their outing, her expression of determination as she cut down the men that attacked, the fear and worry in her eyes when he was injured; it all made her more real, more human... more his.

"My advisers want me to take a wife. This 'pet' you speak of is one of their suggested consorts," he finally said, noticing he had been quiet for a while

Judal frowned. "And you just went along with what those idiots said?"

Kouen sighed. "It would have happened sooner or later. I simply decided to step in before they chose someone that I wouldn't be able to stand.

"And this girl, you can stand?"

Kouen smirked to himself, picturing Kaho's reaction when they had dinner in the garden that one time. "Yes. She is… entertaining."

"Can't you just get a few night flowers for that? Hell, I'm sure there's plenty of girls out there that would do that for free if it was you."

Kouen glared up at Judal. "I did not mean it that way."

Judal blinked in surprise. "You... didn't?" His lips creased in a frown. "What the hell? Are you getting attached?"

Kouen looked back at his book as he too frowned. Was he getting attached? Yes, there was no denying that. But how attached? Attachments were never good in his opinion. It meant more people to protect. It meant giving your trust to someone that could backstab you the next day. Attachments were a dangerous thing for a crown prince.

How far would he go for Kaho? The night of their outing could answer that question. He had told her to run. He had known she had at least a little experience in fighting, but he had only wanted her to get away unharmed. Of course he wasn't giving his life for her since he knew he could take care of the idiots himself, but at that moment, he feared he wouldn't be able to protect her. At that moment, he had panicked.

Kouen sighed, looking at Judal. "It appears I have gotten attached."

Judal hummed in thought. "Perhaps I should go see what this girl is all about." Before Kouen could give any protest, Judal strode out the library.

Just as he left, the door opened again to reveal Koumei. Like many other times, Koumei was holding a stack of papers in one arm, his fan lying on top. He glanced around before his eyes landed on Kouen. "You're looking better," he said, glancing back at the door momentarily. "What was Judal doing here?"

"Questioning about Kaho." Kouen returned his attention to the book in front of him, or at least he pretended to. "Is there something you need?"

Koumei's footsteps drew closer. "Just wanted to check up on you. You lost a lot of blood you know."

Kouen grunted in acknowledgment. He had known. Probably should have done something about the wound before he headed to the palace, but he hadn't wanted to show weakness or make Kaho worry any more than she already was.

"I found the bodies of those that you took down."

Kouen nodded.

"There were some that didn't seem to be your handiwork."

Kouen nodded again. "That was Kaho probably."

"Probably?" He could hear the frown in Koumei's voice.

"I only saw the last one she took out. She cut his side open and then slit his throat with surprising speed."

"Do you know where she learned to fight?"

Kouen shrugged.

"Brother, this isn't something to just shrug aside. She is trained in killing!" Koumei exclaimed, dropping a few papers between Kouen and the book.

Kouen sighed, placing the book down before taking the papers and leisurely flipping through them. He looked at Koumei with a raised brow. "You... looked into Kaho's history?"

Koumei couldn't keep the eye contact. "I wanted to make sure she was safe… but I've uncovered a few things."

"Like?" Kouen hummed as he flipped a page.

"Miss Nightingale's brother is a high ranking soldier in the military. From what I've heard, he has been training his sister since she was little, much to their family's annoyance."

"I don't hear anything bad so far."

Koumei sighed. "I went around and asked members of the army that are close the the family about Miss Nightingale. They informed me that she's 'a sweet and wild girl who doesn't like being caged in.'"

Kouen chuckled. "I learned that already."

"But," Koumei emphasised, "She seems to completely change when she has a weapon in her hand. Some told me that they had fought her in play matches and noticed that she became very calm and calculating… and ruthless."

Kouen hummed as he placed the papers aside. "While that's very interesting and all, I don't see why you're so worried."

Koumei took the papers. "I just… You seem to like her but are her loyalties with us? We can't afford to let in someone so dangerous with a weapon when we don't even know where their loyalties lie."

Kouen nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I understand. I'll look into it." Looking at the clock, he frowned. "The meeting is in a few minutes isn't it?" He stood up, grunting slightly as the pain in his back intensified.

"You should be resting, Brother. The doctors said it would be a while before it fully healed."

Kouen huffed. "Like I would take their advice. I'm perfectly fine."

"Just… don't do anything too reckless," Koumei compromised, leading them out of the room.

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**I felt this was a little short so I thought I would give you a little bit more of something. For a while I couldn't decide what, then I thought, why not Kouen's POV during the attack. So here you go, I hope everyone likes it.**

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_Damn it all._ Kouen growled. They were almost to the palace and then these little shits decide they want to take on the big guns. Truth be told, they probably didn't think they were about to attack the crown prince. His and Kaho's disguises were pretty good. And they certainly weren't trained assassins considering how obnoxiously loud their "sneaking" was. Even Kaho had heard them.

Kouen laid his hand over his weapon's hiding spot, knowing that they were about to walk into a trap.

"Do you have a spare?"

The question was a surprise, making Kouen stop for a second. "What?" He immediately knew she was talking about a weapon, considering she had glanced at his readied hand. His thoughts strayed to the first time he had seen her. Her fluid movements, graceful as she took out the harassing guards. It made him wonder just how good she was with a blade.

"I'm not completely useless, you know. I can handle myself just fine."

Kouen blinked, surprised out of his thoughts. This was not the time to be distracted. He frowned, readying his blade without responding to Kaho.

The attacker went for Kaho first, causing Kouen to spring into action. He felt his blade slide cleanly though the man's stomach before he pulled back and readied himself for the next attack.

As he looked around, he had to hold back a chuckle at the flabbergasted expressions of the trash. They where way in over their heads and they knew it. Kouen gave a smirk to his to-be victims. He wouldn't give them a chance to run.

His sword sliced down a man's chest before he turned to another. Suddenly they all rushed forward to outnumber him. _Shit._ He had thought they would run. He didn't have his metal vessel with him. _Shit. Shit. Shit._ He cursed in his head as he cut down anyone that drew close.

_Kaho. These bastards better not be attacking her too._ With those thoughts, he allowed himself a chance to look over at her in worry only to feel a knife cut deep into his back. He grunted, realizing his mistake before swiping his sword through the perpetrators side.

Taking a breath, he realized that they were surrounded. _There weren't that many before. Backup? No matter, they all die today._ His blade came into contact with another with a loud clink. He cursed.

Somewhere in the background he heard a gasp and glanced at Kaho with a frown. What was she doing? Didn't she see they were outnumbered. "What are you doing? Run!" he growled. He wouldn't let them touch a hair on her head if he had a say in it. No one dared harm what was his.

For the longest time, she just stood there, but Kouen didn't have the time to keep watch as more attacked.

He wasn't sure how long he had been fighting or how many he had killed. His wound was aching, his clothing felt slick with blood. Eventually he noticed that many of them were retreating. _Kaho_. She was his first worry. He turned to where he had last seen her.

He stiffened as he saw a man pounce at her, eyes widening when she dodged and took a dagger to the man's side and then throat with such merciless precision that it sent a shiver down his spine.

In an attempt to look nonchalant, he brought his attention back to the running thugs before returning to her.

Kaho looked up and her sapphire eyes landed on him. Blood dripped from her dagger and coated her dress. A few droplets had landed on her face.

"Are you injured?" he asked. There was so much blood. Was any of it hers?

Kaho looked down, seeming to only now notice the blood. "It's not mine." Her words sent such relief through him. He watched silently as she expertly threw the dagger, embedding it right between the ribs of the man who had attacked her. Served him right for attacking what was Kouen's.

"Ew." Kaho's cry of disgust drew Kouen's attention once more. She was holding her dress with her thumb and index finger, a grimace on her face. "I'm going to need a bath, maybe two. The question should be, are _you_ okay?"

Kouen blinked. This was not the time to be thinking of her in a bath. With the adrenaline dissipating, the wound on his back was beginning to really pain him. The blood loss wasn't helping either. The world wobbled to the side, causing Kouen to stumble. In seconds, Kaho was before him, a worried expression creasing her beautiful face. He pushed her away. "I'm fine. Come on." He turned in the direction he hoped the palace was. He was beginning to get so disoriented, he couldn't tell what direction was what.

The world tilted again and he stumbled. Slender fingers wrapped around one of his arms in what he assumed was a feeble attempt to catch him. He realized that Kaho was going to get hurt before anything else. with all the strength he could muster, he wrapped his arms around her and turned his own body. A grunt escaped his lips as he took the brunt of the fall. He opened his eyes and blinked as he found Kaho's familiar eyes staring at him in shock. While the world around him was moving, those eyes were stationary.

"A-are you okay?" Kaho's voice penetrated the haze that was beginning to cloud Kouen's mind. A weight that Kouen hadn't realized was there disappeared.

"I'm fine!" He growled loudly, in an attempt to appear stronger than he was. Without another word he turned back toward the palace. Kaho didn't stop him, so he assumed it was the right way.

He let his mind fog as his body stumbled through the street. He hadn't realized they had made it back until he felt an arm holding him up. Shouting was coming from all around him.

"Get a doctor!" Someone exclaimed.

Kouen attempted to protest, more worried about Kaho's safety, but was ignored as someone led him farther away from those blue eyes.


	10. Ch10: Nightingale meets Black Sun

**Ok, new chapter ready to go. Hope you like it!**

**I still don't own Magi. But the 66th Dungeon is my creation as is the Djinn that Kaho will meet soon.**

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Chapter 10: Nightingale meets Black Sun

Kaho huffed in annoyance as she looked up at the ceiling above her bed. It was 5 am and she just couldn't seem to fall asleep. She blamed the pri- Kouen.

At that time of the attack, her mind hadn't completely register everything happening around her. But now, safe behind palace walls, she kept reviewing the night's events. Her heart had nearly stopped when she had seen the thug's blade cut through Kouen's skin. Blood, black in the darkness of night, had stained the ground. His blood. The mere thought of Kouen's blood being spilled made her want to find those imbeciles and finish them all. Her hand twitched as she gripped the bedsheets. She could almost feel the knife in her hand again, the handle cool against her fingers. _No._

_Puppies and Rainbows. Puppies and Rainbows._ She repeated the familiar mantra from her childhood to herself. She took a deep breath and released her death grip on the fabric. How long had it been since she had had to use that stupid line to calm herself? She chuckled, remembering how her brother had come up with it to make her drop the blade when she… wasn't herself.

In a swift motion that left her dizzy for a second, she got out of bed. When the room stopped turning, she grabbed the dagger she now kept at her bedside, pulled on a warm outer robe, and headed out the door.

After living here for a few months, she had learned her way to three places: both libraries and the garden. Tonight, she made her way to the garden and sat down at one of the benches. The stone beneath her was colder than the breeze that ruffled her hair.

She took a deep breath of fresh air and closed her eyes. Now that she had calmed herself, she needed to find the source of her anger in order to remedy it. Blood. Kouen's blood. And fear. Her fear.

She opened her eyes and glared at the grass under her feet, wet with early morning dew.

She had been afraid. She worried of losing Kouen.

She had had a chance to run away during the fight, let him take care of everything, but she had chosen to stay. When the palace guards had led a half-conscious Kouen away, she had wanted to follow. Why? What was it that kept her connected to Kouen?

She knew what was wrong. She wasn't dumb. She just didn't want to accept that she... that she may have, possibly, started to, maybe, like him... just a little.

Soft steps in the grass made her tense. A hand landed on her shoulder and before she could stop herself, she reflexively grabbed the person's arm with one hand and her dagger with the other, calming at the familiar feeling of leather around the grip. She threw the assailant down with all the strength in her muscles and straddled them, a dagger resting snugly against their throat.

She blinked at the sight of shocked red eyes, but they were not Kouen's or his brother's. "Oracle," she greeted with a nod of her head. She returned the dagger to its scabbard and stood up, straightening her robe. She kept a hand on her blade.

"What the hell was that?" the Oracle, Judal if she remembered correctly, exclaimed, standing up as well.

"Forgive me. It was reflex." She looked around for any witnesses before turning to the dark-haired Oracle. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She had only ever seen glances of him before today. Strangely, she had not seen him in the palace during her stay.

Judal huffed in annoyance, a hand rubbing his throat as if to check that it was still there. "Yeah, whatever." He glared at her, to which Kaho only raised a brow.

"Can I help you?"

"Just wondering what Kouen sees in a hag like you."

Kaho blinked. "A hag?" She looked down at herself. "I don't understand. Does this robe make me look old or something?" Last she checked, she was younger than Kouen. She realized at that moment that normally she would have reacted with fury at the insult, but for now her mind was sharp and ready, not letting anything cloud it.

Judal grumbled something under his breath, sitting down on the bench that she had previously occupied.

"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that," she informed him as she sat down as well, keeping her body facing forward as she gazed at him. "What do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?"

His eyes wandered to the weapon she held. "Ever heard of Metal Vessels?" he asked, seeming to ignore her questions.

Kaho frowned, eyeing Judal suspiciously. "Well, I suppose. Kouen and his brothers have them, don't they? I don't quite know exactly what they do though."

"They all have different abilities," Judal informed her, making her suspicions rise. There was no way he was just giving free information. The Oracle wanted something. "They also give one the rank of a King Candidate."

"A what now?"

"King Candidates, they-" Judal was cut off as Kaho snorted in amusement.

"How lovely. Because Kouen's ego really needed inflating." After she chuckled a little, she glanced at Judal with a smirk. "Come now, Lord Oracle. You did not come to me to gossip about Kings."

Judal glared at her in annoyance. "Straight to the point, I guess. Fine. I have a proposition."

Kaho grinned. "What could the great Oracle possibly wish of me?"

At this comment Judal grinned back. "The same thing I want of everyone else. Entertainment." Kaho was about to laugh again until she heard Judal's next words. "And considering how you're locked away in a palace, I assumed you wanted an adventure." Kaho's eyes widened and she subconsciously turned her body toward Judal. He grinned. He had her now. Her eyes were alight with what Judal had suggested.

After a moment, Kaho reigned in her hopes, looking skeptically at Judal. "And what would this adventure entail?"

"Well, I don't like you," he said with a grin, pausing to let it sink in.

Kaho blinked in surprise before nodding slowly. "There is no law that requires you to like me. Please continue."

Judal was a little miffed that his words brought no emotional outburst from her but spoke again. "But, I want to see what you can do. So I thought, why not send you on a hopeless journey through a dungeon?"

"Dungeon?"

Judal growled at being interrupted but explained anyways. "They're these towers that Magi like myself can summon. By conquering a dungeon, you can get a Metal Vessel and become a King Candidate." He looked at her. When she nodded he continued. "I want you to try your hand at a dungeon, alone," he emphasised.

"And what does this get me? Truth be told, I don't require a Metal Vessel, Lord Oracle."

Judal sighed. He had thought this would be easier. He thought maybe she would want to impress everyone, just like Kougyoku. No matter, he would find a way. She had reacted quickly when he had mentioned being trapped. "With a Metal Vessel everyone would respect you. They would be fools to think that you can't protect yourself. You would be allowed out of the palace whenever you saw fit."

Kaho bit her lip. This was a very tempting offer. Though she had not ignored the word "hopeless" that Judal had dropped when mentioning the dungeon. She could expect it to be a very dangerous endeavor. "Let's say… I agree to this. What would you get out of our agreement?"

Judal chuckled. He had her now. "Either you would be dead or we would have a new Metal Vessel user in the army."

Kaho frowned. She knew she could take care of herself, but this was risky. She didn't even know what she would find in a dungeon. But if she didn't try, she would never be seen as strong. Even her brother was protective of her when she had long ago proven that she could fight.

Against her better judgement, Kaho responded. "Very well…" She reached her hand out and Judal quickly grabbed it. With a firm handshake she nodded her head. "I will take on this dungeon alone."

"Perfect." Judal stood and pulled out was looked to be a rolled up cloth. "Lets get going." He shook it out and the cloth, a carpet, Kaho realized, began floating in the air.

"Wait, now? I…" she looked down at herself. "I am most certainly not ready."

Judal huffed impatiently, reaching a hand out to help her up. "Either now or never."

Kaho glared up at him but grabbed his hand anyways. "I suppose I don't really have anything besides dresses anyways." _Though it would have been nice to at least get some shoes._

As they began to fly over the walls, Kaho looked down, gulping as she realized how high up they were. "What of Kouen?" She glanced at Judal, who merely shrugged.

"I'll tell him you went dungeon hunting. By the time he even gets to the dungeon, either you will be dead or finished. I don't really care either way."

Kaho looked back at the palace which was getting hard to spot in the darkness of night. _I didn't even get a chance to see him since the attack. I really hope he's okay._

Facing forward, Kaho's mouth dropped open in awe. How had she not see the gigantic tower? Even flying in the sky, she could not see the top.

The tower was crude in shape, appearing along like the world's largest stalagmite. It was thick at the bottom and rounded, tapering off as it went higher. The body seemed to be made of an unknown black metal, silver engraved symbols glowing faintly as they climbed up the building in a spiral. A barrier of metallic silver spikes protruded from the base, pointing in all directions. Farther up, more spikes, of smaller sizes and differing shapes, grew from the black metal like thorns. Even from here, Kaho could tell that the spikes were thicker and longer than her own body.

"Welcome to the 66th dungeon," Judal announced as they descended to the base. As they landed, Judal motioned forward. "Best of luck. Hope you die. Good bye." He grinned.

Kaho simply sighed. "Tell Kouen that he isn't to interfere. If I find him in the tower, I'll personally throw him off the top." She didn't look back as she strode forward. Behind her, she heard a chuckle.

"You know, I'm starting to like you. Maybe don't die just yet." Judal said as the wind picked up and he was once again flying overhead.

"I'll see what I can do." At this point, Kaho had noticed a rather small door made of gold sitting snugly between two of the barrier spikes.

With a shaking hand she reached forward to push the door open, only her hand went straight through it. Something seemed to pull her in as she gave one last gasp before the world around her disappeared.


	11. Ch11: Entei's Fury

**Hello everyone! I'm so glad classes are finally over (at least until next semester). Starting this month, I have decided on an updating schedule:**

**First Weekend of the Month: Entei's Nightingale**

**2nd Weekend: Dream vs Reality**

**3rd Weekend: Falling in Love With an Oracle**

**4th Weekend: update if something came up and I missed one of the above, or one of the other fanfics I have going on.**

**Now, this schedule will only last until end of July. August I will be a bit indisposed for a few weeks and then classes should be starting not too long after. I don't know how bad my classes will be until I start. Hopefully I can still keep to this schedule but I'll let you all know.**

**Back to the story. I do not own Magi but Kaho and the guest appearance are my characters. Did I mention there's a guest appearance? If you know my other fanfic you'll recognize her. I'm not really sure why I decided to add her in...**

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Chapter 11: Entei's Fury

Judal jumped back in surprise as a cup slammed into the wall behind him, shattering and sending shards falling to the ground.

"You what?" Kouen hissed, voice eerily quiet.

Judal laughed nervously. He had not expected this much of a reaction from Kouen. "I took the girl to a dungeon." He jerked slightly in fear-no, he wasn't afraid! He was just… shocked- as Kouen's fist slammed on the table he had been sitting at when Judal had arrived. Judal eyed the fist-sized dent in the wood as the table wobbled back and forth, its legs having been splintered from the force of Kouen's punch.

"Judal," Kouen growled.

Judal looked at him with a small grin. "Yes, Kouen?"

Kouen's eyes flashed with unhidden rage. His hands shook as they curled into fists, as if he was imagining them around Judal's neck, before slacking and repeating. "This joke is not funny. Where. Is. Kaho?"

Judal sighed. Now this was annoying. He was a powerful Magi. He would not lose to a King Candidate. "I already told you, she's at a dungeon."

"What dungeon, Judal?"

Judal chuckled. "As if I would tell you. Don't go ruining my fun."

"Do not test me. Kaho is not your toy. You _will_ tell me her location." Kouen snarled, hands reaching down to his sword. Suddenly, a visible dark pressure filled the room. It dissipated a moment later, followed by a familiar voice.

"What have you done this time, Judal?" Each word was laced with mirth but weighed with the heaviness of sugary syrup.

Both men whirled around in surprise, their gaze landing on a purple-haired woman. She wore a Sindrian cream-colored dress with a lavender underskirt. A black slit on her forehead revealed a closed third eye. "Alya! I didn't know you were back!" Judal announced with a grin as he stepped forward with open arms.

The woman eyed Judal warmly before her golden eyes hardened with a glare. "Judal. I ask again: What have you done?"

Judal gulped as she stepped around him. "Tell me, Prince Kouen. What has he done that has angered you so?" _Always the little diplomat,_ Judal grumbled.

Kouen growled, glaring at Judal. "He sent a woman under my protection into a dungeon alone and will not tell me what dungeon."

A chuckle filled the silent library. "This is a rare sight, My Prince. You are getting all worked up over a single woman. Have you fallen for her?"

Kouen's glare switched from Judal to Alya. "You dare mock me, Witch? You are no better than Judal."

There was a shattering noise reverberating through the room as the already beaten table behind Kouen broke into pieces of splintered wood. "You would do well not to test a goddess, Prince." These words were commanding, no longer holding the false sweetness from before. She turned around to face a smug-looking Judal. "As for you."

Judal gulped, the smugness gone from his features at the look Alya gave him. "Now Alya, Babe, no need to get all huffy. I was just bored. You know me." He tried to give her a winning grin only to gulp when Alya only stared at him impassively.

"Judal," she spoke evenly. Judal knew that voice. That damn voice. If he didn't give her what she wanted, he would be finding himself alone tonight. And right after she got back too. Damn it.

"Yes, love?" He gave her a winning smile in hopes of appeasing her.

"Show Kouen to the tower where you sent the poor girl."

"But I made a deal with her," Judal tried to explain.

"A deal?" Alya sounded surprised as she raised a brow in suspicion. "I hope its not the same as the deal you had with Hakuryuu. We all know how well _that_ turned out."

Judal laughed for a moment. "I, uh, told her she can have a metal vessel if she goes through the dungeon alone. She specifically told me to warn Kouen that if she sees him in the dungeon, she's throwing him off the top."

Kouen frowned at the information while Alya giggled. "I believe I would have liked this girl," she informed them. She looked at Kouen's tense features, probably picking up on the past tense, and sighed. "Very well. I'll see what I can through the Rukh. If you're nice, I may even help her a bit."

Kouen's lips thinned in annoyance but he kept himself from reporting. They watched as she closed her eyes, her third eye opening in the process as black and white Rukh fluttered around her.

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**A little extra side story since the chapter is so short. This takes place after the occurrences of Chapter 9**

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"The girl is more trouble than we had thought," one of Kouen's advisers finally announced as they sat around a table, papers in their hands.

"Indeed. Why was this information not brought to our attention earlier?" another hummed.

"Then are we in agreement that she is no longer-" Everyone flinched at the sound of glass breaking. The room fell silent as the advisers turned their attention to the crown prince and his brother.

"You think she's no longer what?" Kouen asked them in a calm voice, but the broken pieces of crystal from the cup he had been holding told them he was anything but calm.

"My lord," one tried to plead with him, "the girl will only be a nuisance in the future. She is not right for you."

Kouen scoffed. "Now that you've learned you won't be able to control her, you've changed your minds, have you?" He eyed them with disdain. "It's unfortunate that I have grown to like her. You will not be removing her from the picture without my say so."

One of the advisers opened his mouth to protest but Kouen's booming voice silenced him. "Meeting adjourned. I don't want to hear about this again." With finality, Kouen stood abruptly, holding back a growl as his wound began to pain him again, and left the now silent room. Moments later, he heard the familiar footsteps of his brother. "I don't want to hear it," he growled without turning.

There was a sigh. "At least think about what I said, Brother. We need to know where her loyalties lie. Once we have the answer to that, I will be more willing to vouch for her stay."

Kouen nodded curtly. He knew Koumei was right about this at least. He needed to know where Kaho would stand if a fight ever broke out, but probably for slightly different reasons than Koumei. Kouen had realized when Koumei had first brought up the question of her loyalties, that if he was to ever have to face her, he wouldn't be able to fight back. Just trying to imagine it made his chest tighten in dread; he was beginning to realize his real feelings.

He loved her.

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**Ok so I know this isn't the great an exciting chapter about Kaho in the dungeon but I couldn't just skip to that. I have a pattern for my chapters... But next chapter you will get to see it. I'm still working on deciding what she has to do through the dungeons trials. I know her earlier study of the Torran language will help her out.**

**Now about Alya. I know she was acting a lot different from the norm. This is kinda like an AU Alya, much like this story is AU considering that Gyokuen doesn't exist. Anyways, this Alya is half fallen, much like her brother Sinbad, so she can be a little more cynical than the current Alya in "Falling in Love with an Oracle" (as of Chapter 42).**

**Review corner time!**

**Noel: Oh! I totally hadn't even though of going by the actual Lesser Key of Solomon but I'll definitely use Kimaris for the name! Also, I'm glad you enjoy their banter, I quite enjoy writing their banter. It's very amusing. I have a tendency to make my character's lives hell just to have some fun.**


	12. Ch12: Nightingale's First Trial

**So first of all -falls to the floor- I'm soooooo sorry for the delay. I've recently gotten a job, and when I get home i'm too lazy to work on writing. This chapter should have been uploaded last week and I only started it two days ago. There may be a few more errors than usual, hopefully got them all but you never know. I decided since today (6/12) was my Birthday I would do a Birthday Special and upload a bunch of stuff to my profile so go check out my other stories and the new story I've posted. On the plus side, while it was late, its a lot longer than most of my chapters.**

**This chapter was really hard to write, I rewrote the middle 3 times before I was satisfied enough, which also means that I originally had the riddle rhyme but by the time I got the story to an acceptable level, I had no energy to fiddle with the rhyming.**

**I still don't own Magi.**

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Chapter 12: Nightingale's First Trial

It was beautiful. That was the only way Kaho could describe the sight before her.

Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed down on the round globe before her, speckled with rays of light. She felt weightless, floating above the world as she glanced over the mountains and the seas, the islands and forests. All packed into a large ball floating in darkness and surrounded by stars.

The light became too much and Kaho closed her eyes. When she opened them she found herself lying on a smooth, cold surface.

She pushed herself up slowly, rubbing at her eyes in hopes of removing the spots circling her vision.

She blinked once. Twice. She screamed, pulling away from the edge of a pit that was just beside her. Below where the hole-riddled corpses of those that had tried and failed at passing this dungeon.

Kaho gulped, eyeing the dead men with a sinking feeling. On the other side of the pit was a doorway, the magical circle on it catching her eye. "There's no way it can be that easy," she whispered to herself. _Either that's a decoy and these men were all just eager idiots, or that's the right door but there's another way to it. There's no way I'm passing through a pit of corpses._

Slowly, carefully, she stood up and turned away from the pit, taking the long dark corridor before her. She held her dagger at the ready as she padded across the cold floor.

"Curse that Oracle. Next time I don't care how long he has to wait, I'm at least getting a pair of shoes." Even though her words had been whispered, they echoed down the hallway.

* * *

"When does this end?" Kaho mumbled, her steps unsteady as she stumbled from lack of sleep. The corridor seemed to go on forever. She was almost tempted to turn around and try that pit. She hadn't seen anything wrong besides the corpses. Maybe it was a fake out.

But her instincts told her it wasn't. She had to keep going forward. "Don't look back. Nothing good ever comes of it."

As her journey continued, Kaho felt something strange. Not dangerous strange… just strange. It was as if someone else was there in her head. Quiet, but there nonetheless.

_Am I going insane?_

**Be careful. There's something up ahead.**

Kaho flinched as a soft, feminine voice, different from her own, spoke. It felt like someone had whispered in her ear, but she knew no one as there. Ignoring the feeling of her privacy being invaded, she heeded the voice and looked ahead. There was a soft glow, similar to the flow of the symbols that had been etched into the tower's outer walls.

As she drew closer, her guard up and her steps slow, she noticed a tablet covered in engravings.

_Is that-?_

**The Torran Language. I hope you know how to read it.**

Kaho blinked. "Hello? Are you in my head?" No response. "Very well. Ignore me." She returned her attention to the tablet, her fingers drifting over each symbol as she read it slowly, glad for those lessons with Kouen.

"He who comes here will be known,  
The first trial, you have overthrown.  
But more await beyond this hall.  
To escape, you must lose your pride."

Kaho blinked. She frowned. She reread the passage. She blinked again. "What?" Pride, something that she held closely, what all nobles held in high regards. She repressed a chuckle at the thought of Kouen having to go through this dungeon.

**He would rather destroy the whole place than give up his pride,** the voice in her head agreed.

_I mustn't get sidetracked. What am I most proud of?_ She had never had to ask herself the question before so she found it hard to answer.

_I am proud of myself… I would not change myself for anyone. I will not bow. She frowned. But if I do not, I am trapped._

She paused in thought. _Is that the answer? But how could I physically prove losing my pride? It's not a tangible thing..._

**Pride is such a fickle thing.**

Kaho nodded to herself. She would not-could not-lose to this puzzle. The first of many, she reminded herself.

_So then how do I show that I am giving up my pride? I still do not really understand what pride would be,_ she asked herself, slightly hoping the other voice would give a suggestion.

**Perhaps it's something simple.**

"Nothing is ever simple," Kaho mumbled, kicking the tablet in annoyance. "Bothersome riddle."

**While you're just idling about, I was wondering. Kouen won't answer me. Are you the submissive type or-**

_What are you talking about?_ Kaho asked in horror, her cheeks turning red.

**My bad, just curious. I suppose you both being so prideful, you would clash on anything and everything. Am I right?**

Kaho frowned. _You're distracting me._

**Are you sure?** Kaho could just hear the smirk in the voice. Her eyes narrowed. What did the voice mean? Submissive… pride…

_"Stupid dogs," Kouen had growled as he walked into the library._

_Kaho looked up from her book and quirked a brow. "Dogs?"_

_Kouen tsked as he turned his glare on her. "The damned advisors. They have no shame."_

_"What did they do?" she asked curiously._

_"Nothing you want to know of," he spat in anger, picking a chair that had the misfortune of being in his way as he headed toward the other door in the library that led to his private study. "They're just pathetic dogs. They'll bark and bark but when danger arrives, they submit, their tails between their legs and there backs turned as they run. Prideless filth."_

_Kaho flinched as Kouen slammed the door shut behind him._

_Dogs… Dogs? Why am I thinking about dogs?_ she shrugged. "I don't have all day for this… Either I got it or I don't."

_This is such a stupid idea. I hope it works._ But she had no better options.

With a sigh, Kaho got on all fours. "Woof woof?" And so she continued down the passage while crawling. She could almost hear the snickering of the voice inside her head. _Shut up you disembodied voice._

The laughter became full blown, making Kaho grumble as she continued down the hall. "Its not working," she huffed in annoyance.

**Maybe it's not enough,** the voice said between giggles. **Maybe you should imagine Kouen's there? Here, I'll even play his part.** There was a cough and the voice tried to imitate Kouen.

**Who's a good dog?** The sound was deep but still too feminine. A scoff followed.** Better than those old fools, anyways. But let's not talk about them, it kills the mood.**

_Oh god, stop right now. I don't know who you are but you're creeping me out._ Kaho shivered at the thought of Kouen saying those words, no matter how silly the voice sounded. She could even imagine the smirk on his lips as the next words were said.

**If you beg, I'll give you a treat.**

Kaho immediately stood in mortification. _Nope! Not doing it. Stop this instant!_

**Isn't that adorable?** The voice spoke normally this time thank god, but her next comment caused the blood to drain from her face, turning her ghostly white in horror. **I absolutely must tell the Prince! I wonder what he will say when he learns you enjoyed our little roleplaying~**. There was a giggle in the background.

Kaho's eyes grew wide. "Oh god no! That would kill my pr-AH!" Her words were cut off as she suddenly found herself in the air over a brightly lit room.

She gasped, unable to do anything else as she fell. In a swift motion, she stabbed her dagger into the black wall beside her. She felt her shoulder pop as her momentum came to a sudden halt, putting all her weight into the shoulder. Biting her lip, she held onto the dagger with a vise grip as she looked down.

Gold and silver and colorful gems. They shimmered in the light not too far below her. A drop from where she was wouldn't kill her. Maybe she could land on her feet? Pulling herself up with all the strength in her arm, she took hold of the dagger with her other hand and and planted her feet on the wall before giving the dagger a gentle tug. There was a cracking sound and the wall gave out before she was ready for it.

Kaho gasped as her back made contact with the ground. A dull pain coursed through her body. For a moment, she was afraid; she tried to intake air but it was as if her body rejected the oxygen. The horror of being unable to breathe hit her. But as the seconds passed, her breath returned in ragged puffs as she began to feel a burning pain in her previously uninjured shoulder. She felt something wet begin to cover the shoulder, soaking into her night robe. She looked to her left in horror. She had somehow impaled herself on a pointed gold helmet; the tip stuck out though her shoulder, covered in blood, as more oozed to the ground or was soaked up into her white robe.

She tried to stand up, to remove her shoulder from the spike, but the helmet would not move, as if it was made out of lead. And each movement only made the pain worse. Allowing herself to relax, she wasn't sure how long she lay there, her blood pooling beneath her. _Is this how I die?_

There was no response from the voice.

_I was a fool. And I'm alone…_

There was a sort of buzzing in her head alone with faint voices. **… What... doing?... can't… not allowed… damaging!... Rukh…** There was silence for a moment and Kaho's eyes began to close. She was so tired**... Order! Kaho… there!... listen... KAHO!**

Kaho jolted from the sleepy lull she had fallen into. She recognized that voice. "Kouen?"

**Damn it all. If you give up, I'll kill you myself. Throw me off the top you said? Don't make me laugh!** Kouen's voice snarled. **Get back… order!**

As Kouen's voice faded, Kaho began to panic. "Wait! Don't go! Kouen!" Silence. She sighed, dropping her right arm over her eyes to block out the light. "So tired…"

"But…" she hissed between her teeth as she began to push herself up, the metal of the spike slippery from her blood and slowly budging. "I can't rest yet."

She screamed as she felt the metal slip through her wound with one last tug. Her hand fell on her shoulder as she bit her lip in agony. Blood began to pour rapidly from the large wound. Slowly, her legs wobbling below her, she stood and began to walk toward the only door in the room. "I won't… give… up."

Her resolve faltered as she saw another tablet covered in Torran symbols. Even as her sight began to darken, she read.

"If it is treasure which you seek  
Your soul is lost, mine to keep.  
To pass farther you must find  
a single gem, one of a kind."

Kaho looked around the room in dismay. "It could take years to sort through the whole room to find one of a kind…" She leaned against the door as her legs began to give out. _A few minutes of rest won't hurt…_ Everything grew dark before Kaho could think anything else.

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**Comment Corner:**

**9: Truthfully, I'm still trying to decide as well if Alya will be half-fallen, so far I think she will not.**

**OrangeBears: Invested? And thank you~ I'll do my best.**


	13. Ch13: Entei's Kindness

**So I'm back. Sorry for the long delay, I was on vacation and then school started this week... This chapter is really short because I didn't want to continue Kaho's pov just yet cause I'm sticking to my pattern of Nightingale then Entei chapters, so I added a little extra at the end.**

**I am doing a Q&amp;A. Ask me or the characters (whether in reviews or messages, I don't care) any questions you have. Nothing too personal (I'm not giving anyone my address, haha), but I will be combining them all so the question can be about any of my fanfics. I want to answer the questions interview style with my characters but if I don't get enough questions I'm just going to answer them normally... I'm trying to give a lot of people a chance to ask questions so the deadline is Christmas. I'm going to post it on new years in any of my fanfics that had multiple questions asked. If you have any questions, feel free to message me.**

**I still do not own Magi.**

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Chapter 13: Entei's Kindness

Kouen was on the edge of his seat, literally, as he listened intently to Priestess Alya inform them of Kaho's current statues. She would pause between reports, presumably speaking to Kaho directly. What he wouldn't give to be able to do so himself. To hear her voice, to know for himself that she was safe.

His hands gripped the wood of his chair's armrests as Alya chuckled darkly to herself. What was she laughing about?! Kaho was in possible danger! What could possibly be so funny?!

Between giggles, Alya looked up at the prince. "Your girl is rather cute when she blushes."

Kouen frowned. What did that mean? Why was Kaho blushing? He suddenly tensed when he saw the concerned look flash across Alya's eyes as she went silent. As moments passed with no explanation, Kouen's knuckles became white, he gripped most likely bending the metal of his chair.

"She is hurt…" Alya's voice was grave.

"How hurt?" Kouen grit his teeth. He knew he should have gone after her!

"She is trapped… and bleeding out." Alya's voice was barely a whisper as she looked at the floor, worry evident on her features. "I-" before she could finish what she was planning to say, Kouen grabbed her by the shoulders.

"What do you mean?!" he growled. "Do something!"

Alya shook her head. "I can't."

"You can!" He exclaimed, concentrating on the Rukh. The prince may not have been a magician but he was a King Candidate! He could use Rukh no matter how minimal it was. The Rukh within the Priestess's body fluttered, trying to escape as he mentally grabbed for them.

Alya gasped. "What are you doing?" She tried to pull out of his grip.

At this point, Judal had come up to them as well. "Kouen!" he yelled, trying to retrieve his beloved from Kouen's hold.

Alya glared into Kouen's eyes. "I can't let you. It's not allowed." Still he could not listen as he dove deeper into the Rukh's powers on instinct, using Alya as a connection to Kaho. "It could be damaging to her. The Rukh will not listen!"

Kouen almost faltered at this realization. But he could feel the connection! Kaho! He could see what she saw. Gods! There was so much blood… she was bleeding so much!

Alya's continued struggle almost made him lose his concentration and he growled. "Stop! This is an order."

Alya huffed in indignation but stopped moving. That was all Kouen needed. "Kaho! Are you there! Kaho!" No response. "God damn it, listen to me! KAHO!"

There was a jolt of recognition. _**Kouen?**_ He watched Alya's eyes widen in surprise, perhaps amazed that Kaho could hear him? Kaho's voice, no matter how tired it sounded, made Kouen relax ever so slightly. He released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Damn it all. If you give up, I'll kill you myself. Throw me off the top you said? Don't make me laugh!" Kouen heard an airy breath of amusement in his head, courtesy of Kaho. The connection was fading, his own frantic grasp falling away. "Get back here this instant. This is an order!"

There was no response. There was no connection. There was nothing. Kouen's breath caught. Was she dead? Or unconscious? Or was it just the connection?

He released Alya, pushing her away with more force than he intended as he hurried past Judal and out the door, mind made up.

He was heading to the dungeon no matter what.

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**Extra! Extra! Read all about it!**

**This next part is a short fluffy extra. The time period is somewhere between end of Chapter 6 and beginning of Chapter 8**

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Kouen glared at the twin cups within his grasp. A floral aroma hung in the air over the teacup, while a mug contained a rich dark-roasted liquid, something his cooks called 'Kafei.' The Kafei was his of course. But the other one...

What was he thinking? Why bring two cups? He sighed, knowing the answer already.

Pushing the door to his library open, a smirk crossed his lips as he spotted Kaho where he had left her. She sat comfortably on one of the sofa chairs, legs folded under her, white robes billowing around her and draped across the red sofa, as she held a book close. Her eyes flitted across the ink-covered page, lost to the rest of the world.

At the sound of his entrance, Koumei looked up from his own book, nodding to Kouen in greeting. Kouen nodded back silently as he made his way over to the oblivious girl. He gently placed the teacup on the little table attached to the chair. Kaho didn't even move to acknowledge him. Maybe she didn't even notice he was there?

"Oh, did you bring one for me too?" Koumei's voice drew Kouen's attention away from the girl.

The first prince frowned. "Why would I do that? You have two legs. Get it yourself."

Koumei hummed at the comment, a secretive smirk on his face as if he knew something that Kouen did not. This, of course, made Kouen glare at him. Both men glanced to the side as they saw the faintest movement. Kaho had reached out and taken the cup in hand without even glancing up. She took a small sip and paused, looking up at the two sets of eyes. "Rose?" she questioned Kouen with a raised brow.

For a moment Kouen thought he had done something wrong. "You said you liked rose tea," he defended his choice, hoping that he was correct. Was he wrong?

Surprise flashed across Kaho's features before it was replaced with a gentle smile. "I did… I just didn't think you would remember." Kouen relaxed, watching as his girl took another sip, returning to her book. He ignored the pointed look he received from his younger brother.

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**"Kafei" is just how Coffee is pronounced in Chinese.**

**Review corner:**

**Guest: Forgive me, I'm terrible at keeping to date. If I don't have a specific "due date" I just end up waiting forever... I say I will try posting every month, but at this point, I just give up on guessing when I will post. It wont be more than a few months though.**

**Bittersweet Alchemist: Actually, this Djinn doesn't do pranks, he just made his dungeon dangerous cause he doesn't particularly want anyone to get through.**

**toolazytologin and Diclonious57: Thank you~**


	14. Ch14: Kaho's Treasure?

**So... Long time no see? I'm sorry I was gone for so long. There's a few things that I'll blame but most of it is on me. 1. I had bad writers block for the chapter and because I couldn't think of anything I just abandoned it for so long. 2. school. On the other hand, I've graduated with a degree in Biology. But I also got into vet school so that will make updating even harder. I'll try. I really will. And I will not abandon this story, like I've said many times before. But it will take a while to upload. I may have to do it during breaks, if nothing else.**

**Please enjoy the newest chapter. Introducing the Djinn! I don't known Magi.**

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Chapter 14: Kaho's Treasure?

She felt nauseous. The floor moved under her, jostling her bleeding shoulder painfully. Sluggishly, Kaho opened her eyes only to find blackness. She blinked a few times as fear set in. Was she dead, lost in a sea of darkness?

The pain intensified as she tried to move. She whimpered, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

The movement stopped. Kaho could feel strong muscles stretch and constrict under her hands. At the realization, Kaho finally noticed that whoever held her was soft and warm. Something nudged her head, warm air displacing some of her hair as it whinnied.

She turned her head to the side and stared wide eyed at the large black stallion.

"...Hello?..." she spoke, her voice soft and pained.

The horse neighed, blew from its nose again and turned back to walking down the dark hallway, lit only by torchlight.

Kaho frowned. The black coat and darkness around them would explain why she couldn't see anything. Well at least she wasn't blind… Now if only she knew where she was. The hallway was peacefully quiet. She felt warm, snuggled up to the great beast.

"Hey, what's your name?" Kaho whispered as she glanced at the horse. She felt as if speaking loudly would ruin something… destroy this tranquil reprieve.

She didn't expect an answer back as the horse paused for a moment to look back at her before continuing to carry her down the endless path.

With a sigh, Kaho pushed herself to sit up, biting her lip at the agony radiating from her shoulder. She felt something wet under her hand as she held onto the horse's mane for support.

"Where are we going?" she questioned, through grit teeth.

The only answer was the echoing hoofbeats on the floor. She was definitely losing her mind if she had been expecting an answer. _Guess I'll find out eventually._

As she sat on the moving animal in the darkness, she couldn't help feel something was missing. Her eyes grew large as she flexed her hand. The dagger. Eyes wide, she turned, hoping to find it near. _I couldn't have lost my only weapon! What will I do if I have to fight?_

She opened her mouth, about to ask the horse to go back so she could find her dagger when a large set of doors, nearly invisible in the darkness, opened before them, flooding the hall in flickering light.

Kaho snapped her mouth shut as the horse brought her within the dimly lit room. It was huge! Gold and treasure littered every corner of the room, surrounded by high walls of the same black metal that she had seen outside. In the walls, once again, were silver engravings. Now that she had a good look at them, they were definitely Torran letters. Black and silver skeletal sculptures stood guard in front of the walls, with two on either side of a small platform at the center. A large blue ghostly man flew in the air above the platform looking down at Kaho.

There was an audible click as the doors closed behind her, causing Kaho to gulp. She was trapped.

The blue-skinned being crossed his arms over his bare chest as he observed her, his piercing red eyes watching her from a black background. She stared back, unflinching. If she was stuck, then she would just have to push forward.

As the silence stretched on, Kaho took the time to study the entity. The first things that caught her attention were the four obsidian horns growing from his head, two on each side. A third eye upon the center of his forehead glowed in the dim room. He bore many gold trinkets and wore a white sash and cloth around his waist only for his legs to disappear into a wispy cloud of blue smoke. _Is he one of those beings that Kouen has? Djinn I think he called them?_

Finally, the man smirked. "Good good!" His voice boomed in the room. "At least you're not some spineless child." He guffawed to himself.

"Who are you?" Kaho spoke, her voice loud and clear as the tension around the two faded.

The being blinked as he looked back at the girl and scoffed. "You come here on your own but do not even know who I am? How idiotic." He smirked at the girl as she glared up at him. "Ever since you entered, I have been keeping an eye on you. In fact, I sent my familiar to come bring you to me when you caught a snag in the road." He motioned to the horse that Kaho still sat on.

Kaho blinked and looked at the black stallion. With painfully slow movements, she slid off the horse's back, hissing as she made contact with the ground and jarred her shoulder. With her blood-caked hand, she rubbed the hackles of the horse's neck in thanks before looked back at the man.

He nodded to himself as if confirming something, a small smirk on his face. "I like you, kid. I really do. But you didn't even solve my second challenge, so I can't just let you pass." He shook his head in mock disappointment.

_Pass?_ Kaho frowned. She had nearly lost her life bleeding out, still could, and he was treating this like a game. "You wouldn't have helped me if you didn't have a plan, Mr. Djinn."

The Djinn shook his head. "I am Kimaris, the Djinn of Diligence, Hidden Treasures, and Trivium." With a wave of his hand, the ground began to shake as the skeleton statues around her came to life.

Standing down from their podiums, the army turned toward her in unison, raising their weapons.

"Prove yourself worthy of my power." His words were like a cue as 3 of the skeletons stepped toward her. A bow wielder quickly sent an arrow flying. Kaho gasped rolling out of the way only to be confronted by the sword and shield bearer. As the skeleton swung at her, she grabbed his shield and wrenched it from his grasp, skidding back as the sword made contact with the inside of the shield.

Kaho withheld a shiver as she saw the disembodied hand dangling from the shield strap. She threw it aside as she raised it to defend against an arrow that clinked against the black metal harmlessly. She looked up at the Djinn to see that he was watching from the sidelines with a look of boredom. _Fine_, she thought. _If he wants entertainment, I'll give it to him._

She was nearly knocked off her feet due to her inattention when the 3rd skeleton charged her with a two-handed blade. She hissed in pain as the forced sent a vibration down her shield arm and to her injured shoulder.

She grabbed the blade with her bare hand and bashed the skeleton with the shield until he let go. Throwing the shield at the archer, she swiped quickly at the last skeleton with her bigger sword.

The battle blurred as more skeletons stepped forward to replace the fallen ones, never exceeding more than five opponents, thankfully. Kaho received cuts and bruises that she would never even know how, as her mind focused on the fight. At some point, somewhere between the 4th and 10th skeleton, she even forgot about her shoulder wound.

As she decapitated a skeleton with its own shield, she paused in wait for the next attack. None came. She blinked in surprise when the sound of clapping filled her ears. She looked up at the Djinn that she had completely forgotten about. Wearily, she bowed to the magical being. "Have I performed to your liking?" she asked as she looked at the corpses around her. It would have been nice if she remembered even half of what had occurred. _Are they even corpses?_ She wondered. _They were not living to begin with._

The Djinn smiled. "You are indeed a wonderfully talented child. A good King Candidate." The ground began to shake. Kaho gasped as she slipped, dropping the skeleton's sword and falling on the ground. "I shall return you to your land." With the wave of his hand, a golden glow cloaked the young girl.

"Wait!" Kaho exclaimed, reaching out only to find her path blocked by an invisible barrier around the glow. "I don't understand!" she said urgently. "Did I pass? What… what's happening?"

"Goodbye. Use my power well." As he said this, his form began to fade and disperse. The shaking became stronger as cracks appeared in the ground revealing a black pit of nothing beneath.

She pounded on the transparent wall. "Let me out!" Her eyes darted to the growing cracks in fear. _Am I going to die here? This is no longer a simple game, this is cruel to trap me with no way out!_

A little whinny behind her broke her out of her panic. The black horse that her brought her here walked toward her, ignoring the invisible force and passing into the beam of light. Kaho put her hand on its snout as it shoved her uninjured shoulder slightly. "What is it?"

With a snort the house dissipated just like the Djinn, leaving behind a black dagger, made of the same metal as the skeleton army. Silver engravings in Torran spelled out ''Diligence'' along the flat of the blade, at the base was a large silver magic circle. Kaho picked up the small weapon with shaking hands. It was both beautiful and dangerous, sleek and pointed. A stiletto knife.

She flinched and held the knife close to her, shielding her eyes with one arm as the glow of the barrier intensified.

"Kaho!"

Kaho opened her eyes to find dirt around her. She looked up from the pit she now sat in, meeting a familiar set of eyes and a flying carpet that she had sat on not too long ago.

* * *

**Ah, every time I read this I just cringe... there's so much wrong with it, but I don't know how to make it better without just... dropping it. and I won't do that.**

**So I'm running out of ideas for this story. Maybe it will come to me as I go along but... as of right now, I only know what do do for the next 1 or 2 chapters. If you have any suggestions I'm all ears.**

**thanks for sticking around for all of this!**


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